Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler speaking following the I-95 crash.

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A veteran sheriff's deputy in Maryland is lucky to be alive after being critically injured by an erratic driver on I-95 during a chaotic chase through Harford County.

Lt. Rob Burgess, a 29-year-old member of the Harford County Sheriff's Office assigned to the Community Policing Division, has been identified as the deputy who was struck by a rogue Penske box truck and sent flying off the roadway.

"Our prayers are with the family, and we're thanking the community for their support. We've been at the scene, and we're very fortunate we're not talking about a police officer fatality today by God’s good grace," Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.

The wild ride began shortly before 11:30 a.m. when Burgess spotted the Penske truck driving erratically in the Churchville area, he said. The driver then fled without showing any indication of stopping.

According to Gahler, the Penske truck was "almost immediately" involved in a crash with a U.S. Mail truck, then struck a truck with multiple passengers inside and continued onto I-95, driving south in the northbound lanes.

Multiple other vehicles were struck during that pursuit, as the MTA and Maryland State Police joined the chase.

Gahler said that Burgess was attempting to lay down stop sticks to halt the truck, though the driver intentionally swerved to avoid them and struck the lieutenant, who was on foot at the time.

Ultimately, the sheriff said, another deputy used his vehicle to force the Penske truck off the road, but the driver managed to escape before deputies reached the wreckage.

Gahler said that a "suspicious person" was taken into custody near the scene. It is unclear if he had any connection to the Penske pursuit.

Burgess was airlifted by a state police helicopter to Shock Trauma, where Gahler said he was conscious, interacting with family, and undergoing medical checkups as of Tuesday afternoon.

"From the impact and distance he was thrown... I say again, we're blessed not to be sitting here talking about a fatal incident," the sheriff added.

The investigation remains active. Check Daily Voice for updates as more information is released.

"Lt. Burgess’ family is with him at the hospital, where I thanked them for his selfless dedication," Montgomery County Executive Bob Cassilly said. "We are praying for his full recovery." 

"I would like to thank all the allied public safety agencies involved for their professional response to this potentially deadly incident."