A pedestrian was airlifted to a hospital Tuesday after he was hit by an off-duty Prince George’s County police officer at Indian Head Highway. News4’s Tracee Wilkins reports.
A pedestrian was airlifted to a hospital after being hit by a Prince George's County officer on Indian Head Highway, the site of multiple previous crashes.
The man was hit at Indian Head Highway (Route 210) and Livingston Road, the county fire department said. He was rushed to a hospital via helicopter.
The officer was off-duty and driving her marked cruiser when she hit the man at about 8:07 a.m., police said. She was making a left turn from Livingston Road.
The man was using the crosswalk when he was struck by the car, and he was thrown some feet through the air, witnesses said.
The victim is expected to be OK, according to police. The fire department initially said he had life-threatening injuries.
The man works for B&J Carry-Out in Accokeek. His manager said he worked there for 18 years and was walking home when he was struck.
The car sustained a broken window as a result of the crash, people on the scene said. It was moved from the scene almost immediately after the crash happened, police said.
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"There still is evidence," Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said. "There is in-car camera footage that we're relying on, and all of those things will allow us to reconstruct it."
The officer was already under investigation for another crash in July and was driving a replacement cruiser, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
In February, county leaders announced new initiatives to improve safety on Indian Head Highway, including enhanced traffic enforcement and new speed cameras.
“We have to change the behavior of motorists who travel on this road,” County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said.
A suspected drunken driver is accused of crashing into a family’s car on the highway in December. Three children riding in the family car died. Their mother suffered severe injuries.
Another pair of fatal accidents in February increased scrutiny of the highway, which has long been dogged by a reputation of high speeds and recklessness. Seven drivers died on the highway in 2017, and it’s called “one of the most dangerous roadways in Washington” by the AAA motorist group.
Cynthia Jones, a Fort Washington resident who lives just minutes from Indian Head Highway, said she avoids driving on the highway when possible. Her sister was hit and killed by a drunken driver on Indian Head Highway in 2000.
“It was a heartbreak,” Jones said. “It was gut wrenching.”
She said public officials have long known of driving dangers on the highway.
“It’s just a disaster,” she said. “It’s a disaster in waiting for anyone who drives on Route 210."
Stay with News4 for updates on this developing story.
