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Md. Trooper Injured In Hit-And-Run

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A state trooper is hit by a car while writing a ticket along I-83 and that car just kept driving. The man behind the wheel faces a slew of charges.

Andrea Fujii has more on how he was caught.

Police say Matthew Wood, 30, of Reisterstown plowed into a state trooper with his car, then sped away.

"We've lost troopers in the line of duty on traffic stops, in situations just like this," said Greg Shipley, Maryland State Police.

It happened on Sunday at 1:20 a.m. The trooper was stopped on northbound I-83, just past Ruxton Road, standing outside a car he pulled over, when police say Wood sideswiped him.

It's a dangerous, yet all too familiar scene.

In June, 27-year-old Teresa Rigby, a Baltimore City officer, was nearly killed when a car slammed into her along the JFX. Her body was propelled over a wall and fell 25 feet onto the concrete below.

In fact, authorities are hit so often on the road, Maryland enforced a new law last fall. Drivers are required to move over or slow down when emergency vehicles are stopped.

Drivers we spoke with say they move over when they can, but sometimes there's nowhere to go.

"I will brake, start tapping on the brakes, until I'm sure my car has enough space to maneuver in between and then I move," said driver Ruth Senyefia.

If you don't move and an accident results, the fine is $150 and three points on your license. Even if there's no accident, you'll pay $110 and get one point.

In addition to failing to move over, Wood faces several charges. A search of court records reveals his tarnished driving record. He was charged before with attempting to drive drunk, speeding and driving with suspended registration and no tags.

The 30-year-old state trooper involved in the crash has been treated and released from the hospital, although he is still recovering from his injuries.

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