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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — Three days after a Maryland state senator’s luxury SUV became the focus of a viral social media storm, Annapolis police have yet to say whether they are investigating witness allegations that the vehicle struck a parked car before coming to rest partly on a sidewalk and against a tree.
The lack of information has fueled questions about how authorities are handling an incident involving one of the Maryland General Assembly’s senior members, even as Sen. C. Anthony Muse returned to the State House this week to vote during a special legislative session.
Security camera footage obtained exclusively by Spotlight on Maryland showed that Maryland Sen. C. Anthony Muse, D-Prince George’s County, took several minutes to park his vehicle after hitting a parked vehicle a block away. The Maryland lawmaker ultimately parked his car into a tree. (Spotlight on Maryland/WBFF)
Despite repeated requests beginning Monday night, the Annapolis Police Department has not answered questions from Spotlight on Maryland about whether officers identified the driver, prepared a crash report, questioned anyone involved or are considering additional enforcement action.
Muse, a long-serving pastor in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., broke his silence Thursday evening after being pressed by Spotlight on Maryland for days.
The senator admitted to hitting a parked car in Eastport before parking his own vehicle.
My mirror inadvertently hit the mirror of a parked car,” said Muse by email late Thursday. “There was no place to park on Severn Ave., so I turned the corner, hurriedly parked on the curb, rushed back to the parked vehicle, apologized to the owner, and gave him my insurance info.”
Muse did not respond to repeated questions sent about whether he was intoxicated, if charges are pending, if he was detained, taken into custody, or arrested. The vehicle ultimately was parked a block away, despite several pull-off zones near the scene of the confirmed collision.
Exclusive surveillance video obtained by Spotlight on Maryland shows a black Land Rover Defender bearing Maryland Senate license plate number “26” maneuvering for nearly five minutes just after 8:15 p.m. Monday before parking partly on the sidewalk and against a tree in the 400 block of Fourth Street in Annapolis’ Eastport neighborhood.
The SUV repeatedly shifted position, at one point sitting nearly perpendicular to the curb, before coming to rest.
The plate is assigned to Muse, a Prince George’s County Democrat representing District 26.
Maryland Sen. C. Anthony Muse, D-Prince George’s County, provided a photo late Thursday, August 6, 2026, of his SUV’s passenger-side mirror, which he claimed hit a parked car. He called the accident “minor.” (Sen. C. Anthony Muse)
Muse returned to the Senate in 2023 after previously serving from 2007 to 2019. He also represented the district in the House of Delegates from 1995 to 1999. Muse currently serves on the Judicial Proceedings Committee and as vice chair of the Executive Nominations Committee.
The video shows Muse getting out of the vehicle, inspecting the car, and walking away. He later returned several minutes later with another man, then disappeared again from camera view for roughly an hour.
When he came back to the car briefly at 9:24 p.m., video shows Muse stopping in the middle of the street for approximately 35 seconds before walking to the car, getting in and closing the door with the vehicle’s brake lights illuminating.
Footage shows another person approaching the driver’s side of the vehicle and police cars arriving minutes later.
Video then shows an unknown car arriving at the scene on Fourth Street at 10 p.m., a person getting out of that vehicle, entering Muse’s parked SUV and driving away.
Annapolis parking enforcement issued a $100 citation, according to records and images reviewed by Spotlight on Maryland.
Multiple witnesses told Spotlight on Maryland they saw the SUV strike the mirror of a parked vehicle on nearby Severn Avenue before parking on Fourth Street. They described the damaged vehicle as bearing Pennsylvania plates.
Spotlight on Maryland confirmed Sen. C. Anthony Muse, D-Prince George’s County, hit a parked car in the 400 block of Severn Avenue in Annapolis’s Eastport neighborhood at approximately 8:10 p.m. on Monday, August 6, 2026, then proceeded to turn right onto Fourth Avenue, where he parked his car on top of a tree. (Graphic: Anthony Durson/Spotlight on Maryland)
The witnesses requested anonymity because they said they feared retaliation or were not authorized to speak publicly.
Spotlight on Maryland has confirmed that Muse was driving at the time of the collision. Police have not responded to Spotlight’s questions and have not publicly released an incident report.
Residents who witnessed the aftermath questioned whether an ordinary driver would have received the same treatment.
If it was me or someone who might not have that status, I don’t know if we would be able to be free right now and not be charged,” said Alex, an Eastport resident. “I assume I’d be charged very quickly if I did something like that.”
Alex asked for his last name not to be identified.
Multiple employees at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Eastport, who said they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the restaurant, told Spotlight on Maryland that Annapolis police came there Monday night to look for Muse.
Ruth’s Chris in Annapolis’s Eastport neighborhood. (Gary Collins/Spotlight on Maryland)
The workers also alleged Muse had previously left the restaurant without paying on multiple occasions. Spotlight on Maryland has not independently verified those allegations.
Muse’s vehicle incident unfolded as Maryland lawmakers convened Aug. 3 and 4 in Annapolis for a special session on congressional redistricting.
Muse returned to the Senate floor Tuesday for votes on the proposal after briefly being absent during a procedural vote that required Democratic leaders to summon members back to the chamber.
The Senate needed 32 votes to successfully pass the procedural move. Only 31 Democrats were present at the time around 4:35 p.m.
Ferguson asked for the attendance bells to be rung multiple times. Muse ultimately came back to the Senate floor for the procedural vote.
After getting inside his vehicle, police officers arrived at the scene where Maryland Sen. C. Anthony Muse, D-Prince George’s County, parked his car in the 400 block of Fourth Street in Annapolis atop a tree. (Spotlight on Maryland/WBFF)
The Senate ultimately passed the measure, sending the amendment to voters in November. If adopted, it could clear a legal path for lawmakers to redraw Maryland’s congressional map before the 2028 election. Democrats currently hold seven of the state’s eight U.S. House seats.
On social media and in Annapolis, photographs of his SUV drew hundreds of reactions and accusations that elected officials receive preferential treatment.
“Why are the political elite in Maryland allowed to behave like this while you suffer?” someone asked on X.
The Annapolis Police Department has not responded to multiple questions, including whether an investigation is still active.
For residents who watched the scene unfold, the unanswered questions now matter more than the viral photographs.
When asked whether police should hold Muse to the same standard as any other driver, Eastport resident Maeve, who asked for her last name not to be identified, answered without hesitation.
“Absolutely.”
Spotlight on Maryland will continue to investigate Sen. C. Anthony Muse’s Monday incident, as well as his impact on the state. Do you have any tips related to this story? Email investigative journalist Gary Collins with details at gmcollins@sbgtv.com.
Follow Gary Collins on X and Instagram. Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun.
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