Prince George’s County police investigate deadly scooter crash in Clinton

A late-night scooter crash on Old Branch Avenue has put another Clinton corridor under scrutiny after 43-year-old Scott Tippett was killed near Manor Road. Prince George’s County police said Tippett was struck around 10:25 p.m. June 15 in the 8100 block of the road, and the county’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is now handling the case.

Officers found Tippett in the roadway and pronounced him dead at the scene. Police said the driver of the vehicle was also injured and taken to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. No charges had been filed in the initial reports as investigators worked to determine what led to the collision.

Police said Tippett and the driver were traveling in the same direction when the vehicle hit the electric scooter near Manor Road. That detail will likely keep the focus on how much room each had to move, whether Tippett was visible in the dark, and whether speed or roadway conditions played any role in the crash. The crash happened on a familiar stretch of Old Branch Avenue, where traffic, turning movements and smaller vehicles can mix at night.

The fatal collision also lands in a county with a long record of deadly road crashes. Prince George’s County recorded 91 traffic fatalities in 2024, the fewest in recent years but still the highest total in Maryland counties. State crash data continues to be tracked as reports come in, underscoring how one death can quickly alter the picture for a county that has repeatedly led the state in roadway fatalities.

The broader safety debate also reaches beyond one intersection. The Maryland Department of Transportation defines e-micromobility as small, low-speed vehicles such as electric scooters and electric bicycles, while the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says emergency room-treated injuries and deaths linked to micromobility products are increasing. Maryland treats qualifying electric scooters similarly to bicycles under state guidance, with helmet rules for riders under 16.

For Clinton residents, the questions now extend beyond who was at fault in this crash. The investigation may also show whether Old Branch Avenue near Manor Road is a place where scooter riders and other vulnerable road users can travel safely after dark, or whether the roadway itself still leaves too much to chance.