Watch: Wanted Suspect Shoves Md. Sheriff's Officer to Flee Stop Before Deadly Wrong-Way Crash

A woman wanted on over 20 warrants is accused of pushing past a Charles County sheriff's officer during a traffic stop and driving away before causing a fatal wrong-way collision with two vans.
Sept. 24, 2026
2 min read
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What to Know

  • Charles County sheriff’s officers pulled over a vehicle in Waldorf after learning a passenger was wanted on over 20 active warrants in Maryland and Virginia.
  • The suspect climbed into the driver’s seat, pushed an officer aside and sped off, with officers in pursuit until they lost the vehicle in heavy traffic.
  • Moments later, the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and crashed into two vans, killing the car's backseat passenger and injuring the suspect and occupants in the vans.

Key Takeaways

  • Most crashes involved responding to calls or patrols, with some incidents linked to high-speed pursuits and distracted driving.
  • A notable number of struck-by incidents occurred during night hours and at crash scenes.

Check out the story for more about traffic-related dangers.

A brief chase turned into a deadly wrong-way collision last month when a woman wanted on active warrants pushed a Maryland sheriff's officer out of the way during a traffic stop and sped away before crashing.

The incident happened just before 10:30 a.m. Aug. 25 when Charles County sheriff’s officers pulled over a car in Waldorf after learning one of the occupants was wanted on over 20 active warrants—some of them felonies—in Maryland and Virginia, according to an agency news release. Along with the suspect, a driver and a backseat passenger also occupied the vehicle. 

During the stop, the suspect locked the front passenger door and told the driver, who was holding a small dog, to get out of the car. The suspect than climbed over the console and got behind the wheel before pushing an officer away, dislodging his body camera.

Officers pursued the suspect, who sped away from the stop. However, they eventually lost sight of the car because of heavy traffic.

The chase was ended when the suspect was seen traveling the wrong way along the highway. Additional units also were unavailable to help with the pursuit. 

Soon after the chase was stopped, officers saw that the suspect had crashed into two vans in Prince George’s County. The suspect had crossed the highway's median and had turned up behind the officers before driving into oncoming traffic and colliding with the vans.

The officers quickly stopped to help the motorists involved. The suspect was seriously injured, and the 33-year-old backseat passenger was airlifted to a trauma center, where she later died.

The vans' occupants suffered injuries that weren't considered life-threatening. No officers were hurt in the stop or the chase.

Union County police are investigating the incident.

About the Author

Joe Vince
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Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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