Maryland
Maryland work zone speeding fines will double starting Saturday. Here’s what you should know.
BALTIMORE – The fines for speeding in a work zone in Maryland will double starting on Saturday.
The new law follows the March 2023 crash on I-695 in Baltimore County that killed six construction workers.
Investigators say two cars were traveling more than 100 mph before they collided and soared into the work zone.
Melachi Brown was driving at 121 mph when his car was clipped by a car driven by Lisa Lea, who was attempting to change lanes. Lea’s car careened into the work zone and struck the workers.
A video obtained by WJZ shows the two cars crashing at a high rate of speed.
How much will the fine increase?
The new law increases the fine for motorists caught speeding by speed cameras in work zones from $40 to $80.
“We don’t want anyone to get a penalty,” said Will Pines, with the Maryland Department of Transportation. “We want folks to slow down and to be able to drive safely on our roadways.”
In January, Maryland’s work zone speed violation fines will convert to a tiered system. Fines will be determined based on speed and will double if there are workers in the work zone. Those fines could reach $1,000.
“Across the country we have seen the success of automated speed enforcement, that typically it does slow motorists down and when individuals get citations, they typically only requite one before they change behavior,” Pines said. “Ultimately, that is what we need. We need drivers to change their behavior.”
Why is this law important?
In February, Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller spoke about the legislation in front of a House of Delegates committee.
“It is a moral imperative that we protect road workers who provide critical public service that we each benefit from,” Miller said.
Family members reflect on the deadly crash
WJZ spoke with the family of one of the road workers who was killed in that crash.
“Most people you talk to don’t ever think about this unless it affects them, just don’t really care until it affects them,” said Nora DiMaggio, whose mother died in the crash.
Maryland State Police identified the six contractual workers who were killed as Rolando Ruiz, 46, of Laurel; Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, 43, of Frederick; Jose Armando Escobar, 52, of Frederick; Mahlon Simmons III, 31, of Union Bridge; Mahlon Simmons II, 52, of Union Bridge; and Sybil Lee Dimaggio, 46, of Glen Burnie.
Police said Dequan Gravely, 23, of Charles County, was driving northbound on Route 210 near Pine Drive when his Mercedes collided with the school bus turning left from the southbound lanes.
The driver of a car involved in a crash with a Prince George’s County school bus in Accokeek, Maryland, on Friday has been identified.
Prince George’s County police said Dequan Gravely, 23, of Bryans Road in Charles County, was driving northbound on Route 210 near Pine Drive around 7:20 a.m. when his Mercedes collided with the school bus turning left from the southbound lanes.
Investigators said the crash happened in the intersection, causing the school bus to flip onto its side. Gravely died at the scene.
The school bus driver was transported to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Police said no students were on the bus at the time of the crash.
Investigators said they believe debris from the collision damaged a third vehicle. The driver of that vehicle “declined medical attention,” police said.
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 301-731-4422.
WTOP’s Acacia James contributed to this report.
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A D.C. man won $5 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket in Maryland last week, and the matching number that netted him the prize happened to be his age.
Talk about a birthday surprise! A D.C. man won $5 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket in Maryland last week, and the matching number that netted him the prize happened to be his age.
Maurice Williams, a school bus driver in D.C., claimed the first top prize on a $5,000,000 LUXE scratch-off. He had used his $50 winnings from a previous LUXE scratch-off ticket to buy a new one the next day.
In a release from the Maryland Lottery, Williams said he didn’t know he had won until he scanned the ticket: “It’s crazy because the matching number was 59 and I just turned 59 the other day.”
Williams said he sat in shock for a while before calling his mother.
He said he plans to buy his mother a house with the winnings and then save up.
Two more top prizes from the scratch-off have yet to be claimed, the Maryland Lottery said, as well as nine $200,000 prizes, 10 $50,000 prizes and thousands of prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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