A driver who hit and killed a D.C. police officer on I-695 was charged with murder, the District’s top prosecutor tells News4. The driver is suspected to have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the crash, sources familiar with the investigation said.
Officer Terry Bennett died Wednesday at age 32 after he was hit as he helped a driver who ran out of gas on Dec. 23. He is survived by his wife and young song. Law enforcement officers lined D.C. streets to honor Bennett on Thursday.
Driver Jerrold Coates, 47, was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with second-degree murder.
In an exclusive interview, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Coates smelled of alcohol and had to be revived using Narcan at the crash scene.
“We’re very concerned about what his condition was at the time that he hit Officer Bennett,” Pirro said.
Coates is a D.C. government employee with a long criminal history, News4 has learned.
Bennett was helping a driver whose car broke down in the eastbound lanes of I-695 near South Capitol Street at about 10:10 p.m. Dec. 23. He was hit by a car whose driver was traveling “at a high rate of speed,” police said in a statement.
Members of law enforcement immediately started tending to Bennett, who was rushed to a hospital, police said.
Bennett was in a coma for 18 days, Pirro said.
“As soon as he was taken off life support, my office proceeded with the filing of those murder charges against the defendant,” she said.
Preliminary toxicology reports indicate Coates was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, sources familiar with the investigation told News4.
He is a D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation employee with a criminal history in D.C. and Maryland, mostly for minor offenses but with at least one weapons charge.
The department said they could not comment on private personnel matters.
“When handling personnel matters, DPR may consider an employee’s on-duty, or off-duty actions, and DPR will use the available information to proceed under DC law,” a statement said.
Coates is expected to appear in court on Saturday.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
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