Maryland State Police: More Troopers on Capital Beltway Tonight

Almost two dozen additional Maryland State and Washington Metro troopers will be saturating the interstate Friday night into Saturday morning to reduce injuries and fatalities on the Capital Beltway. 

Titled “Operation Centipede,” the additional troopers will be placed throughout the entire length of the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County. This overtime duty is funded by state and federal highway safety money.   

According to the Maryland State Police, troopers in marked and unmarked vehicles will be “focused on finding aggressive drivers, drunk drivers, speeding drivers, inattentive drivers, and others operating in a reckless or negligent manner.” 

Overhead signs will inform drivers they are in a speed enforcement zone and there will be no warnings. 

“Our goal is a simple, but very important one,” Captain Clifford Hughes, Washington Metro Troop Commander said. “We want to save lives and reduce injuries resulting from crashes on the Capital Beltway. Traffic crashes just don’t happen. Each traffic crash has a cause and usually that cause is the result of a driver’s aggressiveness, negligence, or inattentiveness. Our enforcement efforts tonight will be abundant and effective.”  

According to the Maryland State Police, a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study showed speed and alcohol use were factors in a majority of traffic fatalities on this section of the Capital Beltway, with most fatalities occurring between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. 

Maryland State Police continue to investigate a six vehicle crash that killed two people and injured two others on the Capital Beltway near Ritchie Marlboro Road early Tuesday morning.  

According to a MSP press release, a driver involved in the crash and suspected of driving under the influence was taken into custody and released without charges pending the outcome of the investigation and a review by the county state’s attorney’s office.