7 Guns Recovered By State Police During Weekend Traffic Stops, Crashes

PIKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland State troopers recovered seven guns during traffic stops and crashes across the state over the weekend.

A stolen gun from Florida was recovered Friday morning when troopers responded to a crash in the area of I-695 and Route 295. Troopers caught up to the driver, who was seen walking away from the scene of the crash, on Route 259 near Nursery Road. They noticed signs of impairment and took him into custody. During a search they found a loaded handgun in his waistband.

Then around 6 p.m. Friday, a trooper in Talbot County stopped a car along Route 50 and during a probable cause search, officers found a loaded handgun in the vehicle. The driver was arrested.

A trooper in Calvert County stopped a car on Route 4 in Owings around 9:30 p.m. on April 3. The driver had a suspended/revoked and was wanted on a warrant from Baltimore City. A search led to the recovery of a handgun underneath the vehicle's hood in the engine compartment. The driver was arrested.

Around 2:30 a.m. Sunday a trooper in Prince George's County responded to a single-vehicle crash on Route 50 at Route 201. The driver was arrested for DUI. He asked the troopers to look for his cell phone and during the search they found a loaded handgun inside the vehicle.

Two hours later, state police stopped a car on I-495 at Route 5 in Prince George's County. The driver got out of his car carrying a black trash bag and jumped the guardrail. He went down the embankment to a stream. But when he reached the water, he began to comply with the trooper's directions and came back up the hill without the bag. He was arrested for DUI and the trooper found ammunition in his pocket. When police searched the trash bag they found a 7.62 Draco pistol loaded with 29 rounds. The driver was arrested.

Then around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a trooper from the Annapolis barrack stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Route 50. While searching the car, troopers recovered a loaded handgun under the driver's seat. The driver, who was prohibited from possessing firearms, was arrested.

Then shortly after 1 a.m. Monday morning, a trooper stopped a car for an equipment violation on Route 301 in Charles County. During a search, the trooper found a loaded handgun under the driver's seat. The gun was reported lost or stolen from Montgomery County. The driver was arrested.