Maryland Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Charges Connected to Crash With Law-Enforcement Cruiser

Greenbelt, Maryland - A Maryland man is headed to prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a crash involving a law-enforcement officer on Baltimore-Washington (B-W) Parkway.

Judge C. Bruce Anderson sentenced Khoran Newell, 43, of Washington, D.C., to one year in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised probation, for driving under the influence and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle in connection with the crash.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea and sentence with Chief Scott Brecht, United States Park Police (USPP).

According to the guilty plea, in the early morning hours of December 27, 2025, Newell struck a USPP officer's cruiser as the officer conducted a traffic stop on northbound B-W Parkway. During the stop, the officer's cruiser was illuminated with side, overhead, and rear-mounted flashing lights.

While the officer leaned into his cruiser's window, another vehicle suddenly struck it with great force, throwing him over the cruiser and onto the parkway's shoulder. A later analysis of the vehicle's event data recorder showed the car was traveling at a rate of 62 mph five seconds before the crash.

Another USPP officer then attempted to contact the driver of the striking vehicle, who appeared to be asleep at the wheel. The officer eventually woke Newell up and escorted him to the parkway's shoulder. Newell, who was uninjured, was unsteady on his feet, smelled of alcohol, exhibited slurred speech, and seemed confused about what happened.

Additionally, the officer attempted to conduct standardized field sobriety and breath tests, but Newell refused. The officer obtained a warrant to draw blood, and then the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined that Newell's blood alcohol content was .21.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPP for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Nazmy who prosecuted this federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.

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