Anne Arundel County officers are asking for the public’s help identifying people caught on camera driving utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and striking a police vehicle at Fort Smallwood Elementary School in Pasadena.
Just after midnight on September 14, officers responded to a complaint about UTVs driving on the school’s property. When police arrived, the drivers took off.
Slamming into a police vehicle
Investigators said one of the UTVs then slammed into a responding police cruiser near the intersection of Poplar Ridge Road and Belhaven Avenue. The officer was not injured, but the vehicle was damaged.
The UTV driver did not stop and is still on the run.
“We’re investigating a hit-and-run crash at this point,” said Anne Arundel County Police Spokesperson Justin Mulcahy.
Mulcahy said the situation could have ended much differently.
“There could have been a dialogue there, ‘This is not safe behavior, go home,’ that kind of thing,” said Mulcahy. “But they took that opportunity away when they chose to flee the scene, strike a police vehicle, and leave—so they certainly exacerbated the situation.”
Dangers of UTVs
Mulcahy also emphasized the risks of driving UTVs in public spaces.
“The officer was not injured, but somebody could have been injured, or they could have struck someone else. It’s an opportunity for parents to talk to their children about these types of vehicles—they’re for private property or areas designated for their usage,” Mulcahy said.
Police are urging anyone with information to call the Eastern District station at 410-222-6145.
What is a UTV?
A utility terrain vehicle (UTV) is a larger off-road vehicle that allows for a passenger.
UTVs are four-wheel design vehicles that maximize traction in all terrains. Most UTVs can hold two to four passengers, have a steering wheel, and sometimes a roll cage. They can travel up to 50 mph.