A pre-dawn crash on the southbound Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Laurel on Sunday left one person dead and shut down lanes through the morning commute, forcing traffic onto nearby roads and backing up early drivers.
U.S. Park Police told WTOP the collision happened near Maryland Route 198 at about 4:30 a.m. and involved two vehicles. Officers responded to the scene, and southbound drivers were diverted off the parkway at Route 198 while investigators worked.
Parkway Patrol And Crash History
The Baltimore–Washington Parkway is patrolled by the U.S. Park Police, the federal agency that investigates serious incidents on the road, according to the National Park Service. The corridor has seen multiple deadly or multi-vehicle crashes in recent years that have shut down long stretches and disrupted commutes, as previously reported by The Washington Post. Those past wrecks highlight how overnight crashes on this route can spill into the morning drive across Laurel and the Beltway corridors.
What Investigators Are Saying
Park Police told WTOP that the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle that struck the other car was pronounced dead at the scene. The two people in the vehicle that was hit were not injured, according to the agency.
Southbound drivers were rerouted through Laurel and directed to rejoin the parkway via Route 197. Police said the detour was expected to remain in place until about 11 a.m. while the investigation continued.
Commuter Impact
Drivers heading into the area were told to expect residual delays on MD-197 and surrounding local roads as traffic filtered back onto the parkway. Previous crashes on this stretch have shut lanes for hours and, in one instance, scattered debris from an overturned tractor-trailer, creating lengthy backups, according to FOX 5 DC.
U.S. Park Police are investigating. No names or possible causes have been released. This story will be updated as officials provide more information.
