An innocent woman was killed after a suspect sped away from an attempted traffic stop in Prince George’s County, authorities say.
Deborah Saffran, of Bowie, was the victim, police said in an update Thursday. She was 69.
“Holy s—!” someone can be heard shouting on a dispatch communication. “[…] He just hit a car head-on. Get up here now!”
Chopper4 video shows the aftermath of the crash.
The initial traffic stop began Wednesday afternoon in Bowie, according to police, and ended on 9th Street, just off Lanham Severn Road.
A marked Prince George’s County police cruiser attempted a traffic stop on the suspect in connection with an ongoing investigation.
“We’re just going to do a normal traffic stop on it, and just go from there. See what he does. He does have a history of running, so see how it goes,” someone can be heard saying on a dispatch communication.
The suspect initially pulled over, police said, then allegedly took off.
“Seconds later, over the police radio, a PGPD supervisor advised officers to stop any additional attempts to pursue the fleeing suspect,” police said in a statement Thursday.
“A commander from the Prince George’s County Police Department, who was on scene, acknowledged over the radio that officers are not to pursue. The suspect then crossed a double yellow line, went into oncoming traffic, in which time he struck an oncoming vehicle,” Asst. Chief George Nichols said Wednesday.
Saffran was hit, and she died at the scene, police said. The suspect was seriously injured and remained hospitalized Thursday. The suspect also hit another vehicle, police said. The driver was not hurt.
Charges are pending, and the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation. The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
As always, investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has dash camera or home surveillance footage that may have captured the incident to contact the Prince George’s County Police Department,” police said. “Even if you believe your footage may not be significant, it could provide valuable information to assist investigators.”
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