Officer struck by illegal dirt bike in Baltimore, city crackdown intensifies

A Baltimore police officer was taken to Shock Trauma after an illegal dirt bike struck her in Charles North, an episode that has put the city’s street-enforcement response back under a sharp spotlight. Officer Vasquez was later released from the hospital, but she had not returned to duty as of June 4.

The collision happened in the 1700 block of Maryland Avenue near Penn Station around 2:30 to 3 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, as officers were handling crowd and traffic control after a club let out nearby. Police said the rider, identified as 31-year-old Maurice Green, was operating without registration plates or proper safety equipment. Green was cited seven times, his dirt bike was towed, and he was charged with attempting to elude uniformed police by means other than failing to stop and fleeing on foot.

During the struggle, another person on a dirt bike allegedly struck Officer Vasquez in the back. A detective on scene was also bitten on the forearm and treated at the scene. The incident added a violent edge to a problem that Baltimore leaders have tried to confront for years, as dirt bikes and ATVs continue to move through city streets, especially in busy corridors where pedestrians, drivers and police officers can all be put at risk.

The timing came just as Baltimore police said they seized 11 illegal dirt bikes and ATVs over the weekend of May 31. Nine of those seizures came during an operation near Herring Run Park after community tips led detectives to a gathering of riders. Police said they are pursuing criminal and traffic-related charges and are urging residents to use the Dirt Bike Tip Line at 443-902-4474 or email DirtBikeTips@baltimorepolice.org.

The officer’s hospitalization also comes amid a wider policy fight over how far the city can go this summer. After a fatal dirt-bike crash in Northwest Baltimore killed a 37-year-old rider in the 3000 block of Liberty Heights Avenue in May, Mayor Brandon Scott said dirt-bike riding in that manner is “extremely dangerous.” City Councilman Zac Blanchard has pointed to dirt-bike hotspots in his district near Federal Hill Park and has pushed traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps and narrowed roads.

Baltimore City Council created an ordinance in 2022 that carries fines and possible jail time for illegal dirt-bike riding or street racing, but State’s Attorney Ivan Bates has said he has had repeated conversations with police leadership about enforcement. The latest crash in Charles North now gives that debate a harder edge, with one of Baltimore’s own officers sidelined and residents once again watching to see whether the crackdown changes what they see on the street.