Dashcam footage shows the moment a car being chased by police crossed a double yellow line and crashed into a man driving to work in Maryland.
The video shows the driver of the striking car running from the scene. He was eventually captured and charges are pending, according to Maryland Attorney General's Office.
On the morning of June 8, the person killed was 66-year-old Jonny Morris. He was was driving his Honda to work along White House Road near Birdie Lane in Upper Marlboro. He was less than a mile from the tool manufacturing company where he’d worked for 40 years.
“He was our world,” Morris' daughter Jessica Hudson said.
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The video of the crash was released by the Maryland Attorney General's Office, which reviews fatal incidents involving police. They are investigating both the pursuit by the office and the fatal crash.
Video from the Prince George's County Police cruiser shows an officer was heading down Birdie Lane then started pursuing two cars suspected of being stolen, one was a Dodge Challenger. All three vehicles turned onto White House Road and the 21-year-old behind the wheel of the Dodge crossed the double yellow line directly into the path of Morris's Honda. The Dodge drivers name has not been released yet.
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The officer then ran from her cruiser to help the injured Morris. For almost 20 frantic minutes, police tried to get medical help for him while they performed CPR.
The closest fire station to the crash scene is just less than three miles away from the scene.
A spokesperson confirmed the fire department and the county’s Public Safety Communications Division are conducting an internal investigation into the delay.
“It’s very painful,” Hudson said. “There’s a lot of questions of why. How? Why? Why him?”
Thomas Lester, with the AG’s independent investigating division, said they are investigating why the officer was chasing the cars in the first place.
"What we know so far is that the officer attempted a traffic stop on those two vehicles. The two vehicles failed to stop," Lester said.
The Attorney General’s independent investigation of the incident could take months. In the meantime, Morris’ family has hired a private attorney to monitor the progress of the investigation.
"We’re trying to find answers," Hudson said.
Morris was known for his ready smile, dad jokes, doting on his six grandchildren and enjoying date nights with his wife of 44 years, his daughter said.
“He was the dad everybody wants,” Hudson said. “He came to all the games. He was the cheerleader right behind, when I was catching, he would be right behind the fence just cheering me on.”
