LAUREL, MD—Maryland State Police have arrested a Baltimore woman in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred on December 4 in Prince George’s County.

The suspect, Lidia Parada Benitez, 63, of Baltimore, is charged with leaving the scene of an injury collision and failing to report a collision to police. She is currently being held at the Prince George’s County Detention Center pending an initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner.

Troopers arrested Benitez following a traffic stop at just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday night on Hollins Ferry Road, north of I-695 in Baltimore.

At just after 9:45 a.m. on December 4, troopers responded to southbound I-95 and the Intercounty Connector for a report of a pedestrian who had been struck on the road. According to a preliminary investigation, Ceasar Alfred Charles Burke, 23, of Columbia, and a female were parked on the shoulder of the road and having a discussion outside of their vehicle. During the course of the conversation, the female, for unknown reasons, entered I-95 and Burke attempted to pull her back from the roadway. While in the roadway, Burke was struck by Benitez, who was driving a Nissan Altima, according to investigators. She failed to remain at the scene.

A second vehicle, a Honda CRV, struck Burke, but that driver pulled over to the shoulder and dialed 9-1-1. Investigators initially thought a tractor-trailer also struck Burke and left the scene, but that is no longer the case. Burke was pronounced dead at the scene. The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the investigation into the incident. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the College Park Barrack at 301-345-3101.

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