Man charged with DUI after hitting MSP trooper vehicle

PARSONSBURG, Md. – An Annapolis man has been charged with DUI after he reportedly hit a trooper’s vehicle over the weekend.

At around 1:10 a.m. Sunday, a trooper with the Maryland State Police was on patrol in the area of westbound Route 50 and Forest Grove Road in Parsonsburg when he came across a disabled motorist partially in the left lane. The trooper activated his emergency equipment on contact with the motorist.

For the safety of the motorist, Route 50 needed to be temporarily shut down in order for the motorist to be moved to the right shoulder. The trooper then placed his patrol vehicle perpendicular between both travel lanes with emergency lights activated so that he could help the motorist get across the highway to the right shoulder. The trooper stood outside of his vehicle with his flashlight in his hand, monitoring traffic. At that time, the trooper saw a Toyota passenger vehicle traveling in the right lane and realized the driver was not going to stop. The trooper quickly ran over to the right shoulder to avoid being hit.

The driver of the Toyota failed to stop and hit the side of the patrol vehicle. Troopers made contact with the driver, identified as 38-year-old Philip Plack, immediately detecting signs of impairment and observing open alcoholic beverages inside the vehicle. Plack was subsequently arrested for DUI.

No one was injured in the incident.