Hyattsville DoorDash driver killed in U.S. Park Police chase crash

A Hyattsville DoorDash driver was killed when a U.S. Park Police chase pushed a stolen car into his moped on the William Howard Taft Bridge, turning a pursuit over a reported stolen vehicle into a deadly crash with questions now centered on officer judgment and pursuit policy. The victim, 46-year-old Nolberto Meza of Hyattsville, was delivering food when he was struck and thrown into the street.

Police said the incident began about 5:35 p.m. Saturday, June 20, after U.S. Park Police detected a stolen silver 2014 Honda Accord near Rock Creek Parkway and Virginia Avenue Northwest. The pursuit ran north on Rock Creek Parkway, onto Shoreham Drive, north on 24th Street, and then south on Connecticut Avenue Northwest before the Honda sped south on the William Howard Taft Bridge. Investigators said the car crossed into the opposite lanes and hit Meza’s moped. He was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts by D.C. Fire and EMS.

The Honda kept moving after the impact, later struck an occupied Toyota RAV4 on Kalorama Road Northwest, and finally stopped. The two adult men inside the Toyota were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Metropolitan Police Department’s Major Crash Investigations Unit responded at the request of U.S. Park Police, and MPD cataloged the crash under CCN 26085127.

Three people were arrested in connection with the case: 24-year-old Tomas Anderson of Northeast Washington, 19-year-old Donnie Palacios of Southeast Washington, and a 16-year-old male from Fort Washington, Maryland. Anderson was charged with second-degree murder. Palacios and the juvenile were charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Federal prosecutors later dismissed the charges against two of the suspects without prejudice, meaning the cases can be refiled. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said it did not yet have all the information needed to decide on charges and said the investigation remained active.

The crash is also reviving scrutiny of U.S. Park Police pursuit rules, which were loosened nearly a year earlier. FOX 5 DC reported that the agency launched an internal review to determine whether officers followed department procedures. For Prince George’s County and the greater Hyattsville area, the case underscores how quickly a police decision in Northwest Washington can spill into the lives of gig workers and commuters moving through the region’s roads. MPD traffic data showed 17 traffic fatalities in the District through June 15, 2026, up from 8 at the same point in 2025.