Maryland State Police troopers were busy throughout the holiday weekend working a variety of traffic and public safety initiatives that resulted in scores of criminal and drunk driving arrests and thousands of traffic citations and warnings. 

Statewide, troopers issued more than 12,000 traffic citations and warnings (6,613 citations, 5,400 warnings) and arrested 68 drunk drivers.  Troopers made 78 on-site criminal arrests and arrested another 28 people on warrants.  Four guns were recovered by troopers during traffic stops. 

Troopers in the Washington Metro Troop conducted Operation Centipede, a traffic enforcement initiative that put additional personnel on patrol on I-495.  During the initiative, troopers issued 144 traffic citations, 175 warnings, and 28 safety equipment repair orders for defective equipment.  Troopers made three drunk driving arrests, six drug arrests, one arrest for a stolen vehicle and apprehended a criminal fugitive.  Troopers from the same troop also worked with Prince George’s County Police in support of a summer crime reduction initiative in that county. 

Troopers from the Eastern Troop focused on Rt. 50 and other major roads leading to resort areas during the weekend.  During their criminal and traffic enforcement effort named Operation Gauntlet, they issued almost 500 traffic citations and more than 150 warnings.  They arrested three drunk drivers and made three drug arrests. 

State troopers investigated one traffic fatality, which involved a 55-year-old Baltimore man who was in Carroll County riding a motor scooter early on the morning of July 2.  For unknown reasons, the scooter left the roadway on Rt. 75 and collided with a wire fence.  The preliminary investigation indicates the use of alcohol and drugs may have been involved.  Complete information regarding traffic fatalities investigated by other police departments has not been compiled at this time. 

Maryland State Police Aviation Command crews were in full-service throughout the holiday weekend.  State Police helicopter crews performed 46 medevacs, as well as 15 search and rescue missions and six law enforcement support flights.  On July 2nd, Trooper 3 from Frederick located a lost person on the Monocacy River near Buckeystown.  The crew landed and transported the person to a safe area. 

Also on July 2nd, Trooper 6 from Easton was returning from a medevac flight to Salisbury when the crew monitored a lookout from the Easton Barrack for a suspect vehicle in a hit and run crash.  The crew of Trooper 6 located the suspect vehicle from the air and directed troopers to its location, where an arrest was made. 

On July 3rd, Trooper 3 searched for 10 people who were overdue from a tubing trip on the Potomac River.  The crew of Trooper 3 located the group near Brunswick and directed rescue boats to them. 

Troopers also assisted officers from the Baltimore Police Department with traffic and security at the Inner Harbor during the July 4th events held there.  Troopers from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division monitored a lookout for a vehicle stolen in a carjacking.  Troopers located the vehicle and directed Baltimore PD officers to it.