Maryland
Maryland traffic deaths are on the decline, data shows – WTOP News
Data from Maryland’s Department of Transportation shows road deaths in the state have dropped below 500 for the first time since 2014.
Data from the Maryland Department of Transportation shows road deaths in the state have dropped below 500 for the first time since 2014.
In 2025, there were 480 fatalities on Maryland roads, compared to 621 deaths in 2023.
The number of deaths of pedestrians and cyclists dropped by 33% and motorcycle fatalities dropped by 46% in the same time frame.
Chrissy Nizer, administrator of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, traveled to Annapolis on Tuesday to brief members of the House Environment and Transportation Committee on the issue.
“This is a great milestone; this is not a victory,” Nizer told WTOP before the briefing. “A victory is zero fatalities.”
Asked about the decline of fatal crashes in the state, Nizer credited a combination of law enforcement measures, engineering focused on safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and education.
“There’s a new overarching campaign of the Department of Transportation called ‘Serious About Safety,’ and all of our education efforts, as well as our engineering efforts, are falling under that campaign,” she said.
According to Gov. Wes Moore’s office, the 2025 figures are among the five lowest annual traffic fatality counts in the state since 1960.
“The decline we’re seeing in motor vehicle fatalities shows that when we act with urgency and data-driven strategies, we can save lives — and we will not let up because every Marylander should be able to move safely through our communities,” Moore said in a release.
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Maryland
Maryland governor celebrates Juneteenth in historically-Black Montgomery County community – WTOP News
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke about the difference between liberation and freedom at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival, in one of Montgomery County’s oldest historic Black communities.
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Local leaders in Md. unite for Juneteenth Heritage Festival
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke about the difference between liberation and freedom, in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival, in one of Montgomery County’s oldest historic Black communities.
In Cabin John Regional Park, Moore was joined by local dignitaries, including descendants of William Dove, the first formerly enslaved man who purchased 36 acres of farmland in 1880 for $210, located in what is now Potomac.
Moore said that ending slavery was an important moment of liberation, celebrated by Juneteenth, “but liberation is not freedom.”
Even after liberation, Moore said that “the idea of freedom became something that still remained elusive.”
When Dove purchased property in the Scotland community, Moore said that economic empowerment was a step toward freedom.
“The freedom to be able to own more than you owe. A freedom to be able to pass something along to your children besides debt. A freedom to be able to walk freely, knowing that you should be able to feel safe in your own community, in your own neighborhood, and in your own skin,” said Moore.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
A University of Maryland (UMD) football player was arrested for harassment, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Dontay Joyner, a defensive back and rising senior at UMD, was charged with telephone misuse for making repeated calls, electronic communications harassment, and violating release conditions, a misdemeanor offense, according to court records.
Joyner’s attorney is calling the ordeal “outrageous,” saying “[Joyner] has been locked in a cage in Harford County for seven nights after being charged with a misdemeanor for telephone misuse for texting his longtime girlfriend during an argument. This is simply outrageous.”
Joyner’s attorney, Former Attorney General Douglas Gansler, said the 21-year-old has never been in trouble with the law and does not own a handgun. According to Gansler, Joyner’s girlfriend is “fully supportive of him and does not want to press charges.”
According to the UMD Terps website, Joyner is a Lakeland, Florida, native who previously attended Arkansas State. In the spring, Joyner was given the Nick Cross Defensive Back Award in a tradition that honors “past terrapin greats.”
According to court records, Joyner was held without bond.
WJZ has reached out to UMD officials for comment.
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