NEW FOR TUESDAY: Suspected Drunk Driver Runs Into OC Bus

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Suspected Drunk Driver Runs Into OC Bus
Maxwell J Mosscrop

OCEAN CITY — For the second time in three weeks, an Ocean City municipal vehicle was struck by an alleged drunk driver when an apparently intoxicated Stevensville man ran a stop sign at 7th Street and collided with a municipal bus before fleeing the scene early Sunday morning.

Around 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, Ocean City Police and EMS responded to the area of 7th Street and Philadelphia Ave. for a reported motor vehicle collision involving a municipal bus and a car which had fled the scene. The initial investigation revealed a municipal bus was heading south on Philadelphia Ave. when a vehicle heading west on 7th Street allegedly ran a stop sign and struck the bus. The vehicle, driven by Maxwell J. Mosscrop, 20, of Stevensville, Md., then struck an unoccupied parked vehicle and fled the scene.

OCPD officer broadcasted a description of the vehicle involved in the crash and a Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy patrolling in the area located Mosscrop a short time later near 13th Street. Mosscrop was stopped and is suspected of being drunk at the time of the crash. In addition to assorted alcoholic beverages, OCPD officers recovered suspected marijuana from Mosscrop’s vehicle.

Mosscrop was arrested and charged with 17 different counts related to the incident including failing to remain at the scene of an injury accident, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving a vehicle in violation of an alcohol-restricted Maryland license, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Sunday morning’s incident marked the second time in three weeks a town-owned vehicle has been involved in a collision. On May 18, a marked OCPD vehicle with two officers inside was traveling south on Coastal Highway in stop-and-go traffic near 84th Street. A commercial vehicle, described as a “Bethany Resort Furnishing” box truck failed to stop, causing the truck to strike the rear of the marked police vehicle. The collision caused a chain reaction accident involving a total of four vehicles. The two officers were transported to AGH for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash and the police cruiser suffered a significant amount of damage and was taken out of service.

Just last week, a Boardwalk tram caught fire while fueling in the downtown area and was completely destroyed, adding to what has been a tough start to the summer for Ocean City’s municipal fleet.