Thursday, May 2, 2013
State police: Delays were caused by a crash that caused injuries.
Two lanes of northbound Interstate 270 were blocked at Democracy Boulevard during the Thursday evening commute due to a crash that caused an injury, Maryland State Police said. Traffic was getting by in the right lane, while the left and middle lanes were blocked. Earlier Thursday, all lanes of northbound I-270 were closed, and traffic was backed up more than 8 miles, according the county's Alert Montgomery system.
Monday, February 25, 2013
The two helicopters Monday are the first of six to be delivered this week.
Maryland State Police are set to accept delivery of six new helicopters at Martin State Airport in Baltimore this week, beginning Monday afternoon. The AW139 helicopters are among 10 AgustaWestland helicopters MSP is set to receive to replace its aging fleet of 11, all but one of which is at least 20 years old. Two more are scheduled for delivery both Tuesday and Wednesday, according to state police, with training set to start immediately, though the helicopters will not be in use for medevac flights or other missions until the late spring or early summer. The new helicopters will allow state police aviation command "to continue its unique multiple mission capability of medevac, search and rescue, law enforcement, and homeland security," …
Friday, January 18, 2013
State police: The man shot himself after being stopped for not wearing a seatbelt.
Update, 6:20 p.m., Jan. 20: Maryland State Police have identified the driver of the Ford Focus who police said fatally shot himself during a traffic stop on Interstate 270 on Friday afternoon as a 27-year-old Gaithersburg man. The man's body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy, police said in a news release Sunday. Update, 9:45 p.m., Jan. 18: A man fatally shot himself after being stopped by a state trooper near the Montrose Road exit of Interstate 270 on Friday afternoon, Maryland State Police said. Police are working to identify the man, state police said in a news release Friday evening. Multiple lanes of I-270 northbound were closed for several hours due to the police investigation, leading…
Monday, December 31, 2012
Maryland State Police will target areas where crashes, impaired driving arrests are the highest.
More state troopers will be on the roads now through New Year’s Day, part of an effort to reduce traffic deaths this time of year. Maryland State Police said in a statement Friday they would be targeting areas where crashes and impaired driving arrests are the highest. According to state police, there were six deaths on Maryland roads between Dec. 30, 2011 and Jan. 3, 2012. Police said two of those deaths involved impaired drivers. The additional patrols coincide with the Maryland Highway Safety Office initiative “Towards Zero Deaths” and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiative “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Overtime costs for additional patrols was funded by grants from the Maryland Highway Safety Office, state …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The 17th annual plunge where participants run into the chilly Chesapeake Bay will take place on Jan. 26, 2013, at Sandy Point State Park.
Before you know it, 2013 will be here and so will the annual Maryland State Police (MSP) Polar Bear Plunge. Each year, thousands take a quick dip in the Chesapeake Bay to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland. The Plungefest, which is open to the public, is set for Jan. 26, 2013, at Sandy Point State Park. Frigid Friday for participating schools will take place the day before the Plungefest. To participate in the plunge, you must collect a minimum of $50 in pledges—and if you're younger than 18, you must have a parent or guardian's written consent. It's still early but more than $200,000 has already been raised for Special Olympics Maryland to date, according to the event's website that also has a running countdown until the event. …
Monday, October 29, 2012
State police urge motorists to stay off the roads as much as possible.
Although Maryland State Police is not handing out citations for being on the road, they are strongly discouraging residents from driving. State police spokesperson Greg Shipley warned residents that increasing amount of standing water is a significant hazard to drivers because of the high risk for vehicles to hydroplane. “People don’t realize that you don’t have to be going that fast on the road to hydroplane,” he said. Hydroplaning is caused by water being pushed up to the tires and creating a barrier of water, which decreases tire traction and inhibits drivers’ ability to safely steer their vehicles. Basically, Shipley added, the vehicle will be traveling on top of water. Drivers could also run into other hazards like downed trees and …
Friday, October 26, 2012
There will be extra state police patrols starting today through Halloween.
Maryland State Police will be upping patrols from today through Oct. 31 to help make the Halloween holiday safer for drivers and pedestrians -- and especially for kids. Halloween is the second most dangerous day for pedestrians, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. “These patrols will be specifically looking for and removing dangerous and impaired drivers from the roadways to ensure everyone has a safe Halloween celebration,” State Police Col. Marcus L. Brown said. “Our goal is to keep children safe while they are trick-or-treating as well as to keep the motoring public safe while they are traveling to and from their celebrations.” Of all the highway fatalities during Halloween in 2010, 41 percent involved a driver with…
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Maryland drivers who fail to stop and check for pedestrians at nonfunctioning traffic signals will soon face larger fines and points on their licenses.
Maryland drivers have a new set of rules to follow when they come upon a traffic signal that's broken, according to a Maryland State Police press release. The new law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, requires a driver approaching a nonfunctioning traffic signal from any direction at an intersection to stop at a clearly marked stop line, before entering any crosswalk or before entering the intersection. After stopping, the driver must yield to any vehicle or pedestrian in the intersection and remain stopped until it is safe to enter and continue through the intersection. "Just because a traffic control signal is not functioning at an intersection does not mean drivers are relieved of their duty to exercise care and caution," according to the…
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The beltway and other high traffic roads will see an increase in trooper presence this weekend.
Maryland State Police will be on the roads in full force this weekend, targeting potential crashes before they happen. If you’re planning a last-minute getaway before Montgomery County heads back to school, be aware that 22 Maryland State Police Department barracks will be alert and looking for aggressive driving, speeding, distracted or impaired drivers and seat belt violations. The effort comes in response to an increase in traffic fatalities. Traffic-related deaths are up 13.5 percent across the country for the first quarter of 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Maryland, there was an increase of 6 percent, according a Maryland State Police release. From Jan. 1, 2012, to July 23, 2012, there were…
Friday, June 29, 2012
Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police will specifically target drunk driving, aggressive driving and speeding this weekend, in addition to increased regular patrols.
Heading out of town this weekend? Stay alert for aggressive drivers and motorists driving under the influence during the Fourth of July holiday period, and the extra police presence deployed to handle reckless driving. The official holiday is Wednesday, but Maryland State Troopers will begin an increased traffic enforcement initiative this weekend to reduce traffic incidents statewide. Each of the 22 Maryland State Police barrack commanders will deploy special drunk driving patrols, as well as speeding and aggressive driving patrols, that will continue throughout the Fourth of July holiday. State officers also will be assigned additional traffic enforcement patrols when not responding to calls for other services. Drivers can expect …
jnrentz1
9:01 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
I wish to offer my condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Jackson. One of the subjects that is important to this discussion is treatment for mental and emotional disorders. Suicide is usually the "permanent solution to a temporary problem." The person who commits suicide is all too often a depressed person who is not getting the help they need. It is my hope that when the Affordable Care … more ›