Wednesday, October 11, 2017

PRESS RELEASE FOR GOLF CART ACCIDENT

On 10/7/2017 at approximately 9:30 p.m. members of the Calvert County Sheriff's Office Patrol Bureau and Crash Reconstruction Team were dispatched to the intersection of Maryland Route 4 and Lower Marlboro Road for a report of a pedestrian struck.  Patrol units arrived with fire department personnel and confirmed that an adult male was struck by several motor vehicles on northbound Maryland Route 4.

A preliminary investigation revealed that John Lee Schneider (62, of Huntingtown, MD) was operating his golf cart on the roadway and entered the intersection of MD Route 4 and Lower Marlboro Road in an attempt to proceed northbound on Maryland Route 4.  Schneider failed to negotiate the turn and struck the curb that provides for a merge lane for traffic entering northbound Maryland Route 4.  During the collision with the curb Schneider was ejected from the golf cart onto the roadway.  While laying on the roadway surface Schneider was struck by three vehicles traveling northbound on Maryland Route 4 while, with two striking vehicles remaining on location.  The third vehicle left the scene, but was subsequently located by a patrol deputy in a nearby shopping center.  Drivers of all vehicles are cooperating with the investigation. 

Schneider was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS personnel.  Schneider was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where an autopsy will be performed.  All involved vehicles were seized pending additional investigation.

It appears that lighting conditions in the area where the collision occurred, the fact that Schneider was wearing dark clothing and was laying on the pavement and potentially intoxicated are some of the factors that contributed to this collision.     

The collision and the events that lead up to it are under investigation by Sgt. V. Bortchevsky of the Crash Reconstruction Team.  Anyone with additional information regarding the collision is asked to contact the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office at 410-535-2800 or e-mail the investigator at vlad.bortchevsky@calvertcountymd.gov .