SILVER SPRING, MD (DC News Now) –An unidentified Maryland State Trooper remains hospitalized after someone slammed into his patrol car Monday morning while it was parked in a construction zone.

Investigators claim Anthony Bowser, 31, of Washington, D.C. crashed into the rear of the trooper’s car just after 4:30 a.m. along eastbound I-495 just past University Drive. The officer, who was in the car, had his emergency lights on at the time. They believe Bowser may have sped and been impaired at the time of the crash. The trooper remains at Baltimore’s R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, while Bowser is in Bethesda’s Suburban Hospital.

“We’re lucky the lives of both of those individuals did not end like they certainly could have,” said Maryland State Police Spokesperson Elena Russo.

Speeding and impaired driving are among the most common reasons for work zone crashes, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation, MDOT. Those crashes claimed the lives of 46 people between 2017-2021 which are the most recent numbers released by the agency. More than 3,000 people were injured.

“The reasons the orange cones are out, the troopers’ emergency lights are activated, the reason those big flashy arrows are out there are to warn motorists that there’s a work zone ahead,” Russo said, as she urged drivers to use caution when in work zones. “And there are people on the side of the road working to make our lives as motorists better.”

Maryland State Police said they’ll decide if there are any charges once they complete their investigation.