By Mark F. Gray

Despite repeated attempts and pleas by Prince George’s County Police for motorists to slow down, the epidemic of vehicular tragedies continue. There are once again ongoing investigations into the tragic collisions that plague the area.

One man died after two separate vehicles hit him in District Heights. County police said the crash occurred around 11:30 p.m on Sept. 7 when a driver traveling south on Silver Hill Road struck him in the roadway before he was hit by a second vehicle that was an SUV.

The unidentified victim was pronounced dead on the scene. His name had not been made public as of earlier this week. In a Twitter post, police said investigators are still working to determine what led to the crash in southern Maryland. Silver Hill Road between Marlboro Pike and Walker Mill Road were temporarily closed in both directions and open by 8:30 a.m. the following day.

This marked the second consecutive weekend of tragic accidents that hit the County.

The unofficial summer ended with several accidents marring what was pretty much a peaceful Labor Day weekend in Prince George’s County. As the holiday was coming to an end, a yet to be identified man was killed when his motorcycle crashed into a car in College Park. According to police reports, the fatal incident happened Sept. 1 around 7:45 p.m. on Baltimore Avenue between Indian Lane and Erie Street.

Prince George’s County police said the man was riding his motorcycle when he crashed into a car and died at the scene. The two people who were in the car incurred minor injuries.

Just over 24 hours later, another man was struck and killed by a car in Oxon Hill on the night of Sept. 2. County Police officials tweeted the car was traveling westbound on St. Barnabas Road at around 8:45 p.m. when it hit an adult male pedestrian. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Those two incidents occurred while law enforcement authorities continue their investigation into another hit-and-run accident. Police are still asking for the public’s help in searching for the driver and van that struck and injured an 85-year-old man.

The incident happened at around 6 a.m. on the 3400 block of Bladensburg Road. Officers found the man on the roadway and was he rushed to the hospital after suffering critical injuries.

A driver’s side mirror was left at the scene and police say the vehicle resembles what could be a 2015-2019 Ford Transit van. The color of the van hasn’t been determined and there’s a possibility the van may have other minor damage to it’s driver’s side front corner.

The driver who struck the man was not on the scene when officers arrived and police said it’s possible that person didn’t know a pedestrian had been struck before leaving the scene.

Since the rush of fatal incidents that coincided with the start of 2019, police have instituted more checkpoints and safety initiatives throughout the County.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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