Public Affairs Specialist Jessica King Public Affairs Officer Michael Levy

For Immediate Release:

Anne Arundel County Man Charged With DUI After Causing Multi Car Crash

On July 31, 2010, at approximately 11:40 pm, Ocean City Police spotted a Honda Civic being driven by a white male at 49th Street travelling southbound in the bus lane not using its headlights. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, however, the vehicle fled from officers heading south on Coastal Highway. Officers attempted to pursue the fleeing Honda Civic, however, lost sight of the car in the area of 40th Street.

Shortly after losing sight of the car, officers responded to 33rd Street and Coastal Highway for a multi car crash. Police arrived at the scene and determined that four vehicles were involved in a crash on the southbound side of Coastal Highway. Two of the cars involved in the collision were overturned. Officers determined that one of the cars involved in the collision was the Honda Civic that had fled from police at 49th Street. Witnesses at the scene of the crash reported a white male that was driving a Honda Civic had crawled out of the overturned car and fled the area on foot southbound. Officers were able broadcast a look out for the subject who fled from the collision.

A short time later the suspect identified as Steven Daniel Quayle, 21, of Pasadena, Md, was spotted near the Jolly Roger Amusement Park (31st Street) and was subsequently apprehended by an Ocean City Bike Patrol Officer.

Investigation at the accident scene revealed the driver of the Honda Civic, Quayle, had previously stolen the vehicle from the 133rd Street area. Quayle had been involved in a property damage vehicle crash at 59th Street prior to being spotted by police at 49th Street. Quayle then fled from police at 49th Street and continued to flee south until he sideswiped a Hyundai sport utility vehicle at 33rd Street and then veered off and struck a Chevrolet Cavalier and a Mazda pick up truck causing the pick up to flip onto its roof and crash into a light post in front of McDonalds Restaurant, trapping all three occupants who were inside the pick up. The occupants were trapped in the pick up truck for approximately 25 minutes before being rescued by members of the Ocean City Fire Department. The three persons (names not being released) were all transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. As a result of striking the pick up truck, the Honda Civic that Quayle was driving also flipped over onto its roof and slid over 250 feet before striking the rear of a taxicab that was also driving south on Coastal Highway.

Investigators later determined that Quayle was driving while under the influence of alcohol after learning that Mr. Quayle’s breath alcohol content was more than two times the legal limit. All four lanes of southbound Coastal Highway were closed for almost two hours while officers investigated the collision and cleared the vehicles and debris from the roadway.

Quayle is being charged with various traffic and criminal related violations including: motor vehicle theft, several counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, leaving the scene of property damage accident, driving under the influence, and a long list of associated traffic violations. Quayle is currently being held at the Ocean City Police Department awaiting an initial appearance before an Ocean City District Court Commissioner.

Steven Daniel Quayle