Prince George’s County officials, stymied by a refusal of witnesses of the illegal street race that killed eight in Accokeek to step forward, are launching a general crackdown on drag racing in the county.
Police have interviewed about 20 of the roughly 200 people who gathered around 3 a.m. on Feb. 17, on Indian Head Highway to watch an illegal road race, said Maj. Kevin Putnam, who heads the unit investigating the accident. Darren Jamar Bullock, of Waldorf, an unlicensed driver, hit 14 members of the crowd with his Ford Crown Victoria.
Investigators have yet to find the two drivers who were scheduled to race the morning of the accident, Putnam said. Sources close to the investigation have said investigators are seeking a fourth car seen by witnesses at the scene of the crash. Putnam, Police Chief Melvin High and Vernon Herron, deputy chief administrative officer for public safety, called on the community Monday to step forward to aid the investigation even as Putnam said, “witnesses may be reluctant because they fear prosecution.”
Granting immunity rests with State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey. Ivey’s spokesman, Ramon Korionoff, said immunity will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will depend, in part, on the information a witness provides. But even if immunity is offered, it won’t likely help, said Vincent Femia, a retired Prince George’s County circuit judge and a longtime Accokeek resident.
“[Racing is] a club, a clan and they’ll say, ‘We’re all club members and didn’t see anything,’ ” Femia said.
On Monday, County Executive Jack Johnson announced plans to add video cameras to at least 10 areas identified as racing hot spots — Route 301, Central Avenue and Indian Head Highway among them. The county already has 180 cameras, but they’re mostly used to monitor road conditions by the department of public works, he said.
