It was my grandson’s birthday party. I knew I wasn’t going to make it- but would spend the rest of the day with him, my daughter, and my son-in-law. I didn’t leave my home at the break of dawn, since I only had to be in Philly by 11 or so.

I drove my normal route. Even though the Baltimore Tunnel accessway was still under construction. (I simply hate the I-95 route through Baltimore; it always backs up on Sunday mornings.)

I stopped at my favorite place on the northbound journey. WaWa. Ordered my quick snack, filled my coffee mug, emptied my bladder, all while filling up my car with reasonably priced fuel. Leaving around 10:50 AM.

I got back on 95 North and as I passed the Maryland House (this is a rest area) I noticed two troopers. One on each side of the northbound route. One holding what looked like a draped flag over a long stick. I figured it was a new kind of radar and was slowing down to “pass” (i.e., NOT be pulled over). Traveling in the right lane (as I normally do), I was passed by a blackish SUV as if I were standing still. (I had barely dropped to 70 at the time.) And, thanked him for ensuring that I would not be the primary interest of the two troopers.

I kept traveling north and had to move to the middle lanes, because traffic was accumulating and the right lanes were the slowest ones. (That’s OK- they are supposed to be that way.)

Within 5 minutes, about 4 troopers were barreling down the highway- between the left lane and the median, with about 5 more in the right lane (that’s the breakdown lane). All with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Forcing every driver on the road (it WAS crowded) to get out of their way- without hitting anyone else or causing an accident.

Minutes later, more troopers- in every lane, now- were barreling down the highway. (I should tell you that traffic was moving at about 75 mph, as it generally does on this stretch of highway- the cops were moving MUCH faster.) I was praying that no one would be hurt as the mad scramble to avoid these reckless troopers ensued.
Only to be terrorized by yet more troopers moving on both the median and the breakdown lanes of the highway. By now, I lost track how many of these troopers had managed to scare the crap out of us.

Within two additional minutes (the total time from the start of the terror attack to now was less than 8 minutes), three troopers slammed on their brakes and blocked the highway. Within seconds both the median and the breakdown lane were flooded with parked troopers running out of their cars.

Only to be followed within a few minutes (I had now turned off my car, so my clock was no longer affording me a timeline) with a helicopter hovering overhead and then landing in front of the parked trooper vehicles. Right on the highway. To be coupled with yet another copter landing in a few more minutes. Right after one of the trooper vehicles erupted with a plume of smoke.

In the meantime, fire engines and rescue vehicles were barreling southbound on the highway. And now, both the northbound and the southbound routes were shut down by the troopers.

So, what was the reason the troopers put the I95 travelers at risk? You’d think it was a national emergency or something.

Well, not quite. That speeding SUV (2012 Chevy Silverado) was a stolen car. It refused to stop for the cops near the Fort McHenry Tunnel (the route I don’t like to take). Refusing to stop through the counties of Baltimore, Harford, and Cecil.

It finally stopped- of sorts. By careening off the Big Elk Creek bridge (near exit 109) within a mile or two of the state line. (Yes, it would have been MUCH smarter to set up a road block.) And, both the driver and his passenger died.

It gets curiouser. This car wasn’t stolen in Baltimore. It was stolen several days earlier in Laconia, New Hampshire! That’s where Stephen Reinholz (from that city) started his journey. His companion, Kaili Pierce was from Concord (NH).

Two 28 year old folks. Death by cop.

At least this escapade only killed the two thieves. But, this trooper overreaction (if we are not being politically correct, we’ll just call it stupidity) endangered thousands of innocent travelers.

So much for a placid Sunday drive.