Jessup Man Dies In Beltway Crash, Maryland State Police Say

SILVER SPRING, MD — A Jessup man is dead after he struck a tractor trailer and got lodged beneath it on the Inner Loop of Interstate 495 late Thursday night, Maryland State Police said.

Police said a 2004 Honda Civic crashed with a 2012 Volvo Semi truck tractor pulling a 2005 Great Dane trailer at about 11:50 p.m. on the Beltway Inner Loop at Seminary Road before Georgia Avenue.

The Honda driver was pronounced dead at the scene at about 12:10 a.m. He has been identified as Reza Zati of Jessup.

Police said Zati was driving "at a high rate of speed" before he struck the rear of the semitruck in front of him. Zati continued to drive while lodged under the trailer and struck it's B-pillar, police said.

The truck driver—identified as Syed Talib Raza of Manassas, Va.—felt the impact and pulled to the right shoulder of the roadway, police said. He then saw the Honda lodged under his trailer.

It is unknown if alcohol or drug impairment are involved at this time, police said.

State Highway Administration was on the scene along with EMS/Fire Department and had two lanes of traffic closed. A collision re-constructionist was dispatched and conducted an investigation, along with members of the medical examiner’s office.

Photo via Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Spokesperson Pete Piringer