Marshals

Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson said he narrowly avoided a fatal accident during Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix after two marshals ran across the track in front of him.

The incident happened in the third lap when marshals were seen on the circuit as Lawson rejoined the race after an early pitstop to replace a front wing.

Shortly afterwards, Racing Bulls driver Lawson said on team radio to his race engineer: “Are you kidding me? Did you just see that? I could have… killed them.”

After the race, he added: “I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“[I] came out on a new set of hards [tyres], and then I got to Turn One and there were just two dudes running across the track.

“I nearly hit one of them, honestly, it was so dangerous.

“Obviously there’s been a miscommunication somewhere but I’ve never experienced that before, and I haven’t really seen that in the past. It’s pretty unacceptable.

“We can’t understand how on a live track marshals can be allowed to just run across the track like that. I have no idea why, I’m sure we’ll get some sort of explanation, but it really can’t happen again.”

Formula 1’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), is investigating the circumstances.

“Following a turn one incident, race control was informed that debris was present on the track at the apex of that corner,” said the FIA.

“On lap three, marshals were alerted and placed on standby to enter the track and recover the debris once all cars had passed.

“As soon as it became apparent that Lawson had pitted, the instructions to dispatch marshals were rescinded and a double yellow flag was shown in that area.

“We are still investigating what occurred after that point.”

Metropolitan Police Department cars are parked near their headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Friday, August 15, 2025. U.S. Marshals on Saturday arrested a man accused of hitting a MPD officer with an ATV in March. The arrest, according to the U.S. Marshals, is part of President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the capitol’s law enforcement. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 18 (UPI) — U.S. Marshals arrested a 30-year-old man in Maryland over the weekend as part of President Donald Trump‘s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s law enforcement, saying he is accused of assaulting a Metropolitan Police Department officer in March.

Gerard Stokes was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Special Operations Group and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force at 6:15 a.m. Saturday in Greenbelt, Md., the U.S. Marshals Service said in a Sunday statement.

Authorities accused Stokes of hitting an MPD officer with an ATV on March 14.

Police said the officers attempted to contact a group operating ATVs and dirt bikes near a gas station in the nation’s capital.

As the uniformed officers approached, “Stokes accelerated his ATV, raised the front tires in the air and aimed it toward the officers,” the U.S. Marshals Service said.

“One officer was able to move out of the way of the oncoming ATV, the other officer was struck head on by the ATV and drug approximately 15 feet across the gas station lot by Stokes who then fled the scene without stopping.”

The injured officer, who was transported to WHC Medstar, is still recovering from his injuries, the service said, adding that he has not returned to full duty.

A July 15 search of Stokes’ listed home in Greenbelt produced multiple rifles, shotguns, pistols and 720 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, authorities said. Stokes has a criminal history of robbery, aggravated assault and carrying a pistol without a license with a large capacity magazine.

“This apprehension during this public safety surge proves that we are making a difference by getting ruthless and dangerous criminals off the street,” U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta said in a statement.

According to the Marshals Service, the arrest is part of Trump’s federal crackdown in the nation’s capital.

Trump earlier this month signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency in D.C. The American president has mobilized the district’s National Guard for policing and Attorney General Pam Bondi has installed the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as the temporary police chief of the MPD.

The federal takeover of D.C. is being challenged in courts and in the streets, where thousands protested nationwide over the weekend.