(UPDATED) A man shot and killed himself on Friday after a state trooper pulled him over for not wearing a seatbelt on northbound I-270, according to Maryland State Police.
State Police are still trying to identify the man, who they say pulled over on the right shoulder prior to Montrose Road without incident shortly after 4 p.m.
When the state trooper exited his vehicle, he heard a gun shot, police said. The trooper returned to his vehicle and requested back up, according to police. The trooper gave verbal commands to the driver but he did not respond.
Back up arrived and the troopers approached the car and found the driver dead with a gunshot wound to his upper torso and a handgun near the center console of his 1997 Ford Focus.
The subsequent investigation caused traffic backups onto the Beltway and forced traffic onto northbound Rockville Pike, as police vehicles took up the three right lanes just after the Beltway/I-270 spur.
Police said the body will be transported to Baltimore for an autopsy and the victim’s name will not be released until he is positively identified and the family is notified.
Photo via TrafficLand.com.
