This was just announced today (The title, btw, is from the Post article and makes it sound like a scene from Maximum Overdrive, instead of like a person did the driving)
The cyclist, who police have not identified, was pulling onto Annapolis Road from the Bladen Plaza Shopping Center about 2 a.m. when he crossed the path of a Bladensburg police officer headed west, police said. The front right section of the cruiser hit the cyclist, and he was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
Police described the cyclist as a Hispanic man who appeared to be about 25 to 30 years old. Police identified the officer involved as Alex Salinas and said it appeared he had not violated any policies or procedures in the crash.
Salinas was traveling about 35 mph -- which is within the posted speed limit -- and a blood test administered after the accident showed no signs of intoxicants, said Sgt. James Flynn of the Bladensburg Police Department.
Flynn said the department announced the crash Monday, two days after it happened, because of a miscommunication with the Prince George's County Police Department, whose traffic investigators are looking into it.
View Larger Map
I smell cover up. Unless the limit was changed after I moved away last year, the speed limit on Annapolis Rd west of the BW Parkway is 30 MPH.
Posted by: Grendel | November 10, 2009 at 06:54 AM
Grendel, I used the Google Street View to go back quite a ways (into what Google says is Landover, past what looks like a highway entrance, even past the big auto dealership), and forward a little bit, and could find no evidence of a speed limit sign.
Without signage, there's probably a state default speed limit for multi-lane divided highway, which might be 35 or 40.
Posted by: Joe D | November 10, 2009 at 09:14 AM
5559 Maryland 202, New Carrollton, MD, United States
I found a 35 mph speed limit sign
Posted by: BB | November 10, 2009 at 06:43 PM