Prince George’s County police continue to investigate the February deaths of eight bystanders of an illegal street race on Indian Head Highway in Accokeek, but sources say authorities have said two paths for the investigation could be considered.

Darren Jamar Bullock, the 20-year-old unlicensed driver of the Crown Victoria that slammed into the crowd of about 200 in the dark, cold early-morning hours of Feb. 17, could be charged just as easily as the two drivers who were racing that night, defense attorneys have said.

Maryland courts have ruled that when anyone is killed as a “direct consequence of illegal racing ... any driver participating in the race may be convicted of manslaughter.”

That ruling also could be expanded by prosecutors, defense attorney Robert Bonsib said. The question, he said, boils down to aiding and abetting a criminal activity.

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“The bulk of the people on the road at 3 a.m. were there to encourage and participate in drag racing,” Bonsib said. “Where criminal liability might go is a valid question.”

That liability, he added, could fall on the shoulders of the drivers, the crowd, the event organizers or all of the above.

The thought that they could be prosecuted may have weighed heavily on the minds of witnesses following the accident, said lawyer Joseph Hart, who represents victims of the accident.

In the days following the accident, police said it could take months for the scene to be reconstructed by accident investigators, and they added that their efforts had been slowed by reluctant witnesses. As the investigation has rolled forward, county police have cracked down on illegal street racing, a longtime popular pastime in Maryland and the county.

Earlier this month, police reported that a targeted enforcement on Indian Head Highway yielded 37 traffic citations as part of “an effort to decrease illegal street racing.”

The anti-street racing operation, police said, will continue throughout the summer at various undisclosed locations known for racing and speeding.

Meanwhile, Bullock, who lives in Waldorf, was arrested in Charles County in May for allegedly driving a stolen van. His license had been suspended since early 2007, court records show.

fklopott@dcexaminer.com