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Joshua VanderZiel

Age : 21

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/10/2024

Location : 9400 block of Washington Boulevard (U.S. Route 1)

City : Elkridge

County : Howard

State : Maryland

Agency : Anne Arundel County Police Department

Officer(s) :Officer Alexander Rodriguez

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by unauthorized police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/10/2024, at approximately 4:11 a.m., 21-year-old Joshua Andrew VanderZiel was riding his motorcycle on Washington Boulevard (U.S. Route 1) in Howard County when Anne Arundel County Police Officer Alexander Rodriguez began pursuing him. State investigators determined Rodriguez initiated the pursuit without authorization, never notified dispatch, never activated his emergency lights or siren, and never obtained permission to continue the pursuit into Prince George's and Howard counties. The Attorney General's Office has not publicly identified the reason Rodriguez initiated the pursuit.
Investigators determined Rodriguez drove at speeds approaching 100 mph while following VanderZiel for more than four miles across three counties. VanderZiel's motorcycle collided with a flatbed truck that was making a left turn onto Washington Boulevard. He died at the scene from his injuries.
According to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Rodriguez stopped briefly after the collision, made a U-turn near the crash scene, and then drove away without rendering aid, notifying dispatch, or reporting the fatal crash. Three civilian witnesses, including the occupants of the truck, called 911. Rodriguez returned to Anne Arundel County, completed the remainder of his shift, and did not prepare a report documenting the pursuit or collision.
An eight-month investigation by the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division used GPS data, patrol vehicle records, witness statements, and dashboard camera footage from the flatbed truck to identify Rodriguez as the pursuing officer. On 04/02/2025, a grand jury indicted Rodriguez on charges including manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence), manslaughter by vehicle (criminal negligence), leaving the scene of a fatal crash, and five counts of misconduct in office.
On 04/10/2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. He resigned from the Anne Arundel County Police Department. In July 2026, VanderZiel's family filed a civil lawsuit against Rodriguez and Anne Arundel County alleging the unauthorized pursuit and subsequent cover-up caused Joshua's death. Joshua VanderZiel had served as a U.S. Navy Russian linguist and had recently completed training before his death.
Officer Rodriguez received a five-year sentence with all but 120 days suspended, followed by two years of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service, and agreed never again to seek a law-enforcement career.
Resigned/ended career. He is a former Anne Arundel County police officer and is barred by the plea agreement from returning to law enforcement in Maryland.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wbal.com/maryland-officer-pleads-guilty-after-deadly-unauthorized-pursuit-spanning-three-counties
https://oag.maryland.gov/News/pages/Former-Anne-Arundel-County-Police-Officer-Pleads-Guilty-to-Felony-Charge-for-Leaving-the-Scene-of-an-Accident-Resulting-in-.aspx
https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2026/04/10/guilty-plea-in-deadly-police-pursuit-case/
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-police-officer-manslaughter-misconduct-fatal-crash/
https://oag.maryland.gov/News/pages/Former-Anne-Arundel-County-Police-Officer-Pleads-Guilty-to-Felony-Charge-for-Leaving-the-Scene-of-an-Accident-Resulting-in-.aspx
https://thedailyrecord.com/2026/04/10/anne-arundel-police-accident/
https://thedailyrecord.com/2026/07/14/josh-vanderziel-family-lawsuit-aacopd/