Police Stopped A Woman Who Tried To Drive Into Runners At The Pike’s Peek 10K

ROCKVILLE, MD — A Derwood driver was stopped by Montgomery County Police officers from trying to drive into runners on a closed race route during the Pikes Peek 10K race on Sunday, a police news release said.

About 7:45 a.m., officers were called to the intersection of Sommerville Drive and Redland Road on a report of a Jeep Wrangler driving toward a crowd of runners between Metro Access Road and Crabbs Branch Road.

Authorities said Karen Christine Gangloff of Derwood attempted to drive through the closed intersection of Redland Road and Frederick Road. An officer told Gangloff to turn right onto southbound Frederick Road, but instead, she drove through traffic cones and into the parking lot of a nearby 7-Eleven. As the officer returned to his cruiser, Gangloff left the gas station parking lot and continued northbound on Frederick Road at a high rate of speed.

An officer positioned himself in front of the Jeep and signaled for Gangloff to stop. When she kept driving, the officer moved out of the way for his safety. Gangloff then turned right onto Metro Access Road, which was also closed, and subsequently turned left onto Redland Road, heading toward the runners.

According to the news release, officers chased Gangloff on Redland Road, where one officer slammed on the brakes of his cruiser in front of Gangloff’s Jeep, causing her to rear-end the police vehicle. When Gangloff refused to get out of the vehicle, police broke the driver’s-side window to remove her from the Jeep.

Inside Gangloff's vehicle, officers found a magazine containing five 9mm rounds. No firearm was recovered.

Gangloff was taken into custody and taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit. She is charged with first-degree assault and disorderly conduct and is being held without bond.

No officers or bystanders were hurt during this incident.