The Charles County Sheriff’s Office joined law enforcement officials Monday for a press conference at the Prince George’s County Police Headquarters to announce a new initiative to combat illegal street racing.
The Prince George’s County Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Office of Public Safety and County Executive, the Maryland State Police and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office announced plans to work cooperatively to combat street racing on roads such as Routes 210 and 301, which cross jurisdictional boundaries, as well as other roads in each county where street races could or are known to occur. Their efforts will also address general speeding in their respective jurisdictions.
“Although street races do not occur in Charles County at the rate they did many years ago, we know it is an illegal activity that still happens here from time to time. We also know far too many motorists speed from county to county,” said Charles Sheriff Rex Coffey. “We will be working on some enforcement efforts with our neighbors in Prince George’s County to tackle the problem from both ends and hopefully put a stop to this dangerous behavior.”
The law enforcement agencies will share ideas, information and resources. They will also plan joint operations to address street races and speeding.
A Feb. 16 crash in which eight spectators were killed while watching a street race remains under investigation by the Prince George’s County Police Department.
At the press conference Monday, police said they believe 200 people were on the scene on Feb. 16, and they have spoken to 20. Also, the driver of the vehicle that struck the crowd of spectators passed drug and alcohol tests given at the scene, the Associated Press reports.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office, however, urges any of its citizens who may have witnessed the crash to contact investigators in Prince George’s County with any information that may aid the investigation. Citizens may call the Prince George’s County Collision Analysis Unit at 301-731-4422 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. All Crime Solvers callers remain anonymous.