Wrong-way driver causes crash on I-270, shutting down lanes for hours
Driver in custody after wrong way crash snarls I-270 in Maryland
A wrong-way crash shut down parts of I-270 near Clarksburg Road in Montgomery County for hours on Friday. The driver involved has been arrested but the multi-county investigation into the suspect continues at this time.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A wrong-way crash shut down parts of I-270 near Clarksburg Road in Montgomery County for hours on Friday.
The driver involved has been arrested but the multi-county investigation into the suspect continues at this time.
What we know:
A spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department said officers were dispatched around 4:17 p.m. for reports of a wrong-way driver going down south in the northbound lane of I-270.
Officials say the incident originated in Frederick. Maryland State Police and Frederick Police were pursuing the vehicle, but once the driver entered Montgomery County, MCPD officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
Officials say the driver eventually collided with another vehicle and stopped. That's when he reportedly got out of the car with a child.
Police say the man was standing in the roadway holding the child. Officers tried to de-escalate the situation and negotiators with the department were called in.
Eventually, the suspect was tased once and was taken into custody. FOX 5's SkyCam caught video of a man being loaded into an ambulance but it was not immediately clear if it was the suspect, as a spokesperson for MCPD said there were believed to be injuries related to the crash.
The child is ok.
What we don't know:
The MCPD spokesperson said there may be injuries related to the collision but it's unclear who was injured or the severity of those injuries.
No additional information about the suspect has been released. It's also not clear what charges he may face in connection with the incident.
The age of the child he was with is not known, but again, police say the juvenile was not harmed.
All lanes of I-270 have since reopened.