MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Two Montgomery Police Department cruisers were involved in separate incidents while officers were responding to calls on the night of Thursday, January 18.
The first incident occurred at approximately 10:45 p.m. A 2nd District officer, assisting with a shooting in the 3rd District, was rear-ended at the intersection of Georgia Ave. and Grace Church Rd. The officer, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, was transported to a hospital and later released. The driver responsible for the collision fled the scene but was apprehended in the Montgomery Village Ave area. Allegations indicate the adult female driver was under the influence at the time of the incident.
In a separate incident before 11 p.m., a 3rd District officer was attending to a disabled vehicle on Southbound Columbia Pike near Dustin Rd. With emergency lights activated and positioned to shield the disabled vehicle, the officer’s cruiser was struck by a 2016 Kia Sorento. The impact caused injuries to both the officer and the driver of the disabled vehicle, though they were reported as minor. The officer was also taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
Following these incidents, the Montgomery County Department of Police urges drivers to exercise caution, slow down, and move over for all vehicles stopped on the road shoulder, particularly for first responders with activated emergency lights. These incidents serve as a reminder of the risks law enforcement officers face and the importance of driver awareness and safety near emergency scenes.