BOWIE, Md. – The Prince George’s County Police Department is investigating a fatal collision that occurred Wednesday afternoon in Bowie. The victim is 69-year-old Deborah Saffran of Bowie. The adult male driver who struck the victim after fleeing a traffic stop remains hospitalized.
On August 26, 2026, at approximately 2:45 pm, officers attempted to conduct the traffic stop near Lanham Severn Road and Driscoll Drive. The driver is a suspect connected to an open and active investigation. The suspect initially pulled over but then fled from the traffic stop toward 9th Street. Seconds later, over the police radio, a PGPD supervisor advised officers to stop any additional attempts to pursue the fleeing suspect.
Approximately one-half mile from the initial stop location, the suspect crossed the double yellow lines and crashed into an uninvolved car in the 12800 block of 9th Street. The driver, Saffran, died at the scene. A third vehicle was also struck; that driver was not injured. The suspect was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
At the scene on Wednesday, the PGPD consulted the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigation Division (IID), which has declined to investigate this incident.
As with all fatal crash investigations, the PGPD’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit will refer its investigation, once complete, to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.
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. Even if you believe your footage may not be significant, it could provide valuable information to assist investigators.
Anyone with information about this case who would like to speak with an investigator is asked to call the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422. Please refer to case number 26-0045522. The PGPD’s Internal Affairs Division is also investigating this incident.