A young man died Monday of injuries suffered when his sedan collided with a Prince George’s County police cruiser driven by an off-duty officer near the intersection of Bel Air Drive and Beaverdale Lane in Bowie, according to police.
Preliminary reports from the department indicates that the officer was driving northbound on Bel Air Drive around 7:15 a.m. when the young man pulled into the street without ceding right-of-way at a stop sign.
The driver, a man in his 20s, was transported to Prince George’s County Hospital, where he later died. The officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Both men were driving alone, according to Prince George’s County police.
Two police officials declined to release the name of the officer or the victim. An investigation and accident reconstruction are currently underway to determine the precise cause of the fatal crash. Officers said investigations involving fatalities are extremely detailed and time-intensive.
“It was turned over to the Accident Reconstruction Unit,” said Officer Henry Tippett, a police spokesman. “Now they’ll take measurements, knock on doors, interview witnesses. It could take weeks or months before they figure out exactly what happened.”
Bel Air and Beaverdale is one of the first intersections off of the major roads coming into Bowie. City Police Chief Katherine Perez said it has not been a troublesome intersection in the past. Her department is not involved in the pending investigation.
The officer was driving a Ford Crown Victoria. The civilian drove a Chevrolet Beretta.
