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Clarification: In the original version of the story TRNN reported that the Maryland State Police investigated the accident. Only the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office issued a report on the accident.
A collision with a Worcester County Sheriff that severely injured a motorcyclist but has received little attention is coming under renewed scrutiny after TRNN obtained the official accident investigation report which labeled the crash “preventable.”
Mouloudou Kane, who was standing on the side of the road with his motorcycle, was severely injured in a crash with Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy Gregory Wetzel.
Two residents of Worcester County, MD described what they witnessed as a horrifying scene: A police vehicle crossing two traffic lanes and drove onto the shoulder of the highway into a motorcyclist who was picking up his bike after a slide.
The witnesses were loading their truck in preparation for a barbeque over Memorial Day weekend when they saw what they believed to be an intentional collision with the downed cyclist.
“We came home from grocery shopping, and we were getting out of the car and heard a horrific bang,” said one witness, who wishes to remain unidentified out of fear of retaliation.
“They [police] already had weapons withdrawn, with a car in front and a car in the back. And from about a half a mile away the other cop’s vehicle ran through them both and aimed for him and hit him so hard his body flew toward the tree line,” said the witness.
Kane was flown to Shock Trauma, and his attorney, Richard Brueckner Jr., confirmed that if the injury had been one inch closer to his femoral artery he would have bled out and died. His lawyer said Kane laid his motorcycle down on the shoulder of the highway to avoid hitting the bumper of a car that had switched lanes abruptly, and that he had no idea that he was being followed by police.
The eyewitness accounts raise questions about what some residents say is a lack of transparency and accountability in law enforcement on the Eastern Shore. “I want to see the responsibility taken by the party that I believe committed a crime. I know what’s right and wrong, but I know what I saw and what my son saw wasn’t right. I want to see some justice brought to that man … Afterward, it seemed as if things were being arranged…” said the witness.
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office has yet to post any information about the accident.
Despite evidence from two eyewitnesses and the conclusion of investigators the collision was “preventable,” Mr. Kane was still charged with 25 traffic violations ranging from speeding to reckless driving, all of which were dismissed in court. TRNN contacted the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office but has yet to receive comment on whether or not Deputy Gregory Wetzel is under investigation for his role in the crash.
TRNN has filed an MPIA request for dashcam footage and all pertinent case evidence and will update this story when new information becomes available.