Maryland State Trooper, Shaft S. Hunter, 39, died in the line of duty when his police car slammed into a tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 at 2:40 a.m. while pursuing a speeding motorcyclist. The patrol car hit the rear of the tractor trailer and then traveled down the side of the trailer, coming to rest near the front of the trailer. The accident happened on I-95 South near the entrance of a rest stop south of route 32 in Howard County. Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, Albert Sandino, 46, of California was not injured in the crash. He had been parked for about 15 minutes as he checked for directions. Sandino was pulling a trailer of household bleach from Aberdeen, Md., to Virginia. The motorcyclist, who was described as wearing a white helmet, has not been located. Hunter was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Hunter joined the state police 11 years ago, after a stint with the Marines. The state police recruited him out of the Marine Corps. He was elected president of the 114th Trooper Candidate Class and spoke at his academy class graduation in June 2000. He went on to become Trooper of the Year, and worked with a task force that played a key role in catching the D.C. snipers. Hunter did moonlighting as a security guard at restaurants, stores and movie theaters to provide for his six children. Hunter was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and graduated from St. Joseph’s in 1990. Hunter, then a starting defensive back and running back, on Cadets teams that won back-to-back state titles in 1989 and `90, when he was a junior and senior. He held a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from St. Augustine College in Raleigh, North Carolina. After college, he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served from 1994 to 2000. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps with the rank of captain.. When his police dog, Bear, was recently retired from the force and Hunter took it home to live with his family. Hunter’s casket was carried to its final resting place by U.S. Marines. A traditional police burial was held for Trooper Hunter which included bagpipe players, a gun salute and an honor guard presentation at the Fallen Heroes Memorial section of the Timonium cemetery. His German Sheppard, Bear, was brought to the funeral as well. Bear, 8, retired from police duty in 2009. His children were ages 4 to 19. All donations will be used to provide for the education of Hunter’s six children. To donate to The Hunter Children’s Scholarship Fund donations can be sent to any M&T Bank branch in Maryland or can be mailed to M&T Bank, 207 Bowie Road, MD 20707.
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