Officer Who Died In Crash Distracted By Film Crew

A Baltimore police officer who was killed in October when his cruiser slammed into the back of a fire engine was speeding at 71 mph and most likely was distracted by a film crew on the opposite side of a highway, the final investigative report concludes.

Officer Thomas Portz Jr., 32, did not suffer a medical problem, and officials found no mechanical defects in the police car, a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. The report says Portz, a 10-year veteran assigned to the Western District, was not wearing his seatbelt.

The report, obtained by The Baltimore Sun under the Public Information Act, concludes that the only likely cause of the crash was that Portz "had his attention diverted to the westbound side" of U.S. 40 "where a film crew was filming a movie."

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