Police Officer Terry L. Bennett

Terry L. Bennett

Police Officer Terry Bennett succumbed to injuries he received when he was struck by the driver of a vehicle while assisting a disabled motorist on Interstate 695 in Washington, D.C., on December 23, 2025.

Around 10:10 p.m., Officer Bennett stopped in the eastbound lanes of I-695 near South Capital Street to help a motorist who had run out of gas. While standing outside his police cruiser, a speeding driver, attempting to change lanes, struck him. The disabled motorist was not injured.

Officer Bennett was immediately transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries on January 7, 2026.

The driver was unconscious after the crash and was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. He had been driving erratically and tested for a blood-alcohol concentration of twice the legal limit. He was charged with second-degree murder and denied bond.

Officer Bennett had served almost eight years with the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C., assigned to the First District. He is survived by his wife and children.