A rookie Montgomery County police officer who was struck by a police cruiser Wednesday morning in Aspen Hill died early Thursday.
Meanwhile, authorities announced the arrest of a 19-year-old suspected of leading police on the chase resulting in the death of Officer Luke Hoffman, 24, who died at about 1:30 a.m. at University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore City.
Luke Hoffman attended Mount Hebron High School in Howard with Ian Hoffman, a close friend. “Luke thought [police work] was a respectable profession, and he liked the idea of giving back to the community,” Ian Hoffman said.
Luke Hoffman, hired by the agency in July 2006, attended McDaniel College in Carroll County, where he earned a degree in criminal justice.
“I remember Luke as a model student,” Debra Lemke said, a sociology professor, in a statement. “I could always depend on him. He was a bright face in class ? quick to laugh and always smiling. He was well-liked by students and faculty.”
The crash occurred in Aspen Hill, near Bel Pre Road andTynewich Drive, according to police. The drunken-driving suspect jumped out of his car in a parking lot and ran through the woods and across Georgia Avenue. Police say the cruiser struck Hoffman after he crossed Georgia Avenue.
After striking Hoffman, the cruiser hit a tree. The cruiser?s driver, Officer Stephen Wofsey, was released from the hospital late Wednesday.
The suspect, Ruel Dempster, was being held on $250,000 bond. He has been charged with one count of reckless driving, three counts of fleeing and eluding police and four counts of hit-and-run.
