ACCIDENT, MD – Maryland State Police arrested Omar Tellez Gonzalez, 46, following a crash involving a Maryland State Trooper on Sunday evening in Garrett County.
The trooper was transported to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Maryland in Cumberland for treatment and was later released.
Gonzalez, the driver of a Dodge pickup truck, was arrested at the scene and cited for suspected driving under the influence, reckless driving, negligent driving, and other traffic-related violations. He is currently held without bond at the Garrett County Detention Center.
Shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday, troopers from the Maryland State Police McHenry Barrack responded to a crash on Interstate 68 near Exit 14. Preliminary investigation indicates that Gonzalez’s truck was traveling west on I-68 when it left the road and struck the trooper’s stationary patrol vehicle, which had its lights activated. Impaired driving and speeding are suspected factors in the crash.
All lanes on I-68 were closed for more than two hours for the investigation. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.