Woman, 20, indicted in Aug. 10 death of police officer on B-W Parkway

2nd-degree murder count among several charges

GREENBELT - A federal grand jury indicted a Silver Spring woman yesterday on murder charges in the death of a U.S. Park Police officer who was struck and killed Aug. 10 at the scene of an earlier fatal accident on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Jovada P. Welch, 20, was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and related traffic offenses, including driving under the influence.

She was charged in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt because the victim, Hakim Farthing, was a federal officer and the incident occurred on federal land.

She could receive a life sentence, if convicted.

Farthing, 28, of Alexandria, Va., was a two-year member of the Park Police force.

He was guarding a barricade at the parkway's southbound exit to U.S. 50 about 3:30 a.m. when a car ran through warning flares and cones and struck him.