At 1:51 a.m. Jan. 29, Charles County Sheriff’s Cpl. S. Brown observed a Chevrolet Celebrity displaying multi-purpose vehicle tags turn from Route 228 onto Festival Way in Waldorf and attempted to stop it.
The driver fled back onto Route 228. Cpl. Brown pursued the vehicle until it turned and began traveling west in the eastbound lanes of Route 228. After discontinuing the pursuit, Cpl. Brown observed the vehicle turn onto Leyton Court.
Shortly thereafter, he saw it had been abandoned by the driver in front of a residence in the 2300 block. Officers searched the area but the driver was not located.
About an hour later, officers responded to Ashford Circle in Waldorf after a citizen reported someone was knocking on his door.
Officers arrived and found Joseph Francis Gross, 42, of Port Republic at the residence and Cpl. Brown identified him as the driver of the Chevrolet Celebrity.
Gross was arrested and charged with negligent driving, fleeing and eluding, speeding, driving an uninsured motor vehicle, driving while suspended, driving an unregistered motor vehicle on the roadway, displaying expired tags, displaying tags issued to another vehicle and other related traffic violations.
He was being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending an appearance before a district court commissioner.