On November 22, 2019, Todd Pivec, age 41, of Cockeysville, Maryland, was convicted of negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle and driving a vehicle not equipped with ignition interlock in the Worcester County Circuit Court. The Honorable Beau H. Oglesby postponed sentencing until February 14, 2020 so that a pre-sentence investigation can be conducted. Pivec faces a total of 17 years in prison at sentencing.
On June 21, 2019, just after 1:00 am, Ocean City Police Department was alerted by a local bartender that an intoxicated person identified as Pivec was attempting to drive a vehicle on Coastal Highway in the area of 94th Street. Officers were already in the area and immediately began following the Pivec’s vehicle. Officers observed numerous traffic violations and attempted to stop the vehicle, but Pivec accelerated away from police, traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Coastal Highway during a torrential rainstorm. Officers eventually lost sight of Pivec’s vehicle which ultimately struck the rear of another vehicle in the area of 48th Street, which in turn caused that vehicle to crash into the Satellite Café at 46th Street.
As a result of the collision, that vehicle’s fuel tank ignited, trapping the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Siefeldawla Alfaki, inside and causing his death. After the collision with Alfaki’s vehicle, Pivec’s vehicle flipped over and eventually came to a rest after crashing into a telephone pole at 45th Street. Officers observed him crawl out of the wrecked vehicle and attempt to flee from them on foot. He was apprehended on scene and submitted to a blood draw at Atlantic General Hospital which resulted in a blood alcohol content of more than double the legal limit. Crash data from Pivec’s vehicle was analyzed during the investigation and showed that in the moments prior to the impact with Alfaki’s vehicle, Pivec was traveling at 93 miles per hour.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser commended the Ocean City Police Department and Pfc. Ryan Flanagan of the Traffic Safety Unit for their comprehensive investigation, and applauded the efforts of Assistant State’s Attorney Jared Monteiro who prosecuted the case. Heiser refrained from making additional comments until after sentencing.
