54°
Kepp received a proper hero's welcome on Thursday as he was discharged from the UMD Medical Center Shock Trauma Center and was escorted by a decorated motorcade to Walter Reed Medical Center in Virginia.
Kepp was met by cheers and applause as he wheeled himself to his escort after being forced to have both legs amputated in an effort to save his life following a crash involving a reckless driver well known to police in Montgomery County.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, 19-year-old Frederick native Rafael Mayorga took police on a wild ride and intentionally struck Kepp in a green Dodge Charger while speeding on I-270, something he is known to do, according to Police Chief Marcus Jones.
Jones said that on the morning of the crash, officers in Germantown were monitoring the Charger, which hit speeds approaching 110 mph, as Mayorga attempted to bait police into a pursuit, a move that he has pulled on several times in the past.
"Sgt. Kepp is, and has been well-versed in this individual's driving activities throughout the years," the chief said at the time. "The driver has been known to provoke officers into chasing him, particularly on our major roadways here in the county."
Mayorga was not pursued by officers on Wednesday, and instead, officers were strategically set up along I-270 from Clarksburg down to Rockville, though the 19-year-old got on and off the interstate at times to avoid them until he came upon Kepp, who was deploying stop sticks in an attempt to slow the vehicle in the left lane after another driver was nearly run off the road by the Charger.
"The situation took a turn when the driver intentionally - and I stress that - intentionally moved from the middle lanes to the far left lanes and came directly at Sgt. Kepp," Jones said. "He intentionally struck Sgt. Kepp in the main lanes of I-270."
A second officer was able to successfully deploy stop sticks further down the roadway and Mayorga was apprehended near Clarksburg Road with a second person, who was treated like a witness, according to the chief, who commended his department's response in saving Kepp's life.
"Without those efforts by members of the emergency medical teams, they don't believe he would have survived his injuries," Jones added. "Sgt. Kepp was transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
"Unfortunately, he has lost the use of both of his legs."
Charges against Mayorga include attempted first-degree murder and other offenses.
"I saw this this morning, and it's shocking to think something like this would end this way," Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said following the incident. "I sure hope he doesn't get out on bond, because obviously he doesn't have a license, and he's doing this and he has access to cars, so he has nothing stopping him."
Jones said that Mayorga is no stranger to the police, and he was charged on multiple occasions for reckless driving, a host of traffic violations, and for speeding, including one stop for going 136 mph in a 55 mph zone on I-270 in April.
"I found out information that he is so well-known that this is what (Mayorga) does," he added. "He does this intentionally to bait officers into chasing him as if it's some sort of video game.
"We've seen him, even earlier this morning he was observed doing donuts ... Pulling up to traffic lights while an officer is on patrol and intentionally going through a red light at a high rate of speed to bait the officer.
"This is a different case in a way from my perspective, because this case, you see the intentional reckless behavior, as he literally drove his vehicle at him at 100-plus mph," Moore continued. "To me that's a whole different story.
Kepp, 36, has been with the Montgomery County Department of Police since February 2014 and was involved in the Alcohol Initiatives Unit working to keep impaired drivers off the roadway.
Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribute? Join the DMV All Incidents Facebook group.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Columbia and receive free news updates.
