Montgomery County Police Officer Noah A. Leotta passed away on this day in 2015, one week after being struck by a drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop on Rockville Pike as part of the department’s Holiday Alcohol Task Force.
According to MCPD, Officer Leotta was returning to his patrol vehicle around 9:45 p.m. on December 3, 2015, when he was hit, rushed to Suburban Hospital, and remained on life support until his death at age 24. The driver was later convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Officer Leotta’s death led to the Drunk Driving Reduction Act of 2016, known as Noah’s Law, which requires individuals convicted of alcohol-related driving offenses to install an ignition interlock device. Last year, Maryland lawmakers closed a loophole that had allowed many offenders to avoid the requirement, ensuring that all DUI and DWI offenders, including those receiving probation, must now use ignition interlock devices…