SALISBURY — A Quantico woman was killed and another woman was injured after one car struck a deer and the airborne animal crashed through the windshield of a second vehicle on a rural road in Salisbury on Tuesday night.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a vehicle driven by Peggy Lee Dickerson, 67, of Tyaskin, was traveling west on Nanticoke Rd. at Wells Rd. in Salisbury when it struck a deer. The force of the collision caused the deer to become airborne and the animal crashed through the windshield of another vehicle heading east on Nanticoke Rd.
The force of the collision caused the deer to penetrate the windshield of the second vehicle, driven by Joyce Green, 69, of Quantico. Green suffered a fatal head injury during the collision, while the deer was ejected out of the rear of the vehicle. The driver of the first vehicle, Dickerson, was taken to PRMC for injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Suspect Sentenced In OC Burglary Spree
SNOW HILL — The first of five suspects arrested in June following a spree of motor vehicle thefts and burglaries in Ocean City pleaded guilty last week to first-degree burglary and was sentenced to 10 years in jail, most of which was suspended in favor of fines and probation.
Last week, Christopher Bussey, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and theft for his role in the June 15 incident. Bussey was sentenced to 10 years in prison, all but two years of which were then suspended. He was also fined $500 and placed on probation for three years. Two other suspects have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the incident and await sentencing hearings. A fourth was scheduled for trial last week but had her case postponed until February. The fifth suspect, Joshua Robinson-Gripper, 22, of Washington, last week pleaded not criminally responsible and awaits a competency hearing.
The incident began on June 15 when a vigilant citizen who observed a group of suspicious individuals peeking in houses in the area of Teal Drive on a Sunday afternoon. Around 1:30 p.m., Ocean City Police were dispatched to the area of Teal Drive after a vigilant resident told a Public Safety Aide working an Ocean City Air Show traffic detail he had seen three suspicious individuals peering into area homes. Upon arrival, the officers located a vehicle in which the resident believed the suspects were traveling. The investigation revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen in Montgomery County.
OCPD officers quickly located three of suspicious individuals who were seen exiting the vehicle and each was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle. Those suspects were identified as Bussey, Dominique Burton, 19; and Shinecia Mercer, 19, all of Washington, D.C. An investigator with the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office also assisted and located and arrested a fourth suspect in the area of 20th Street and Philadelphia Ave., identified as Heather Haire, 25, of Washington D.C., who was linked to the theft of the motor vehicle.
While officers were still on the scene at Teal Drive, two residents reported burglaries of their homes during which electronics, jewelry and other items totaling roughly $60,000 had been stolen. Many of the items were recovered in the stolen vehicle, in the suspects’ possession or had been discarded by the suspects. During that investigation, OCPD officers developed a fifth suspect and had still not recovered some of the property stolen during the burglaries.
Around 6:40 p.m., OCPD officers responded to the area of 32nd Street and Baltimore Ave. for a report of a stolen vehicle. Believing the stolen vehicle at 32nd Street could be related to the earlier recovery of stolen vehicle and the burglaries on Teal Drive, OCPD officers broadcasted lookouts for the fifth suspect and the stolen vehicle to surrounding jurisdictions.
Around 9 p.m., OCPD detectives learned the Maryland State Police and Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office were involved in a vehicle pursuit near Hebron just west of Salisbury involving the vehicle reported stolen from the 32nd Street area. The pursuit ended with a single-vehicle crash. Around 8:52 p.m., a deputy attempted to stop the vehicle that reached speeds of 120 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. Instead of stopping, however, the driver, identified as Robinson-Gripper, failed to stop. Traffic stopped at Naylor Mill Rd. forced Robinson-Gripper drove off the road and the vehicle crashed into a guardrail. Believing the pursuit had ended, the deputy exited his vehicle and approached what he believed was a disabled vehicle. However, Robinson-Gripper again drove away, dragging the vehicle’s rear and front bumpers to drag on the roadway, causing a cascade of sparks. Again, Robinson-Gripper drove west on the eastbound lanes of Route 50 before crashing into a dirt embankment near Hebron that permanently disabled the vehicle.
Inside the crashed vehicle stolen from the 32nd Street area, OCPD detectives recovered electronics and jewelry stolen during the burglaries on Teal Drive. All five suspects were charged with multiple theft and burglary charges.
Robinson-Gripper last week pleaded not criminally responsible for the myriad of charges against him. A competency hearing has been set for Feb. 5. In November, Burton and Mercer each pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and both now await sentencing hearings later this winter. Haire was scheduled for trial last week, but her case was postponed and is now set for Feb. 12.
Screams For Help Lead To Assault Arrest
SALISBURY — A Salisbury man was arrested on assault and other charges last Saturday after allegedly holding a woman against her will during a verbal argument that escalated.
Last Saturday, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence on Glen Ave. in Salisbury for a report of a woman screaming for help. The arriving deputy attempted to get someone to answer the door of the residence before finally forcing his way inside. Once inside, the deputy made contact with the suspect, identified as Adam Starkey, 31, of Salisbury.
The investigation revealed Starkey had been in a verbal argument with a female during which the victim attempted to leave the apartment. According to the victim, Starkey refused to allow her to leave and pulled her back in, which precipitated her screaming for help. Starkey was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and false imprisonment. He is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Guilty Plea For Fraudulent Contractor
SNOW HILL — A Pittsville contractor, charged in October with theft and other offenses after accepting money for construction jobs in the resort area which he did not complete, pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court and now awaits his fate pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.
According to the OCPD, a contractor, identified as John Alan Stull, 49, of Pittsville, took deposits totaling thousands of dollars from victims and then failed to complete the jobs. In October, Ocean City Police were contacted by an individual who told officers she contracted with Stull to complete work on her home in September. The victim reported Stull had been contracted to replace the roof on her private home and was paid a deposit of $1,900, but never began the work and could not be reached by the victim.
During the investigation, OCPD detectives determined Stull had previously been charged with similar theft crimes. On July 18, OCPD detectives began an investigation after a victim reported Stull had been paid over $10,000 to replace the stairs of a resort condo building. After more than two months passed, Stull never started the job and the victims’ attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.
Last week, Stull pleaded guilty to theft from $1,000 to under $10,000 and acting as a contractor without a license. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 2.
Probation For Weed Bust
SNOW HILL — A Virginia man arrested in September on marijuana possession charges after a Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy found him and others in vehicle at the boat ramp in Public Landing after dark pleaded guilty this week and was sentenced to 30 days, all of which was suspended in favor of probation and fine.
Around 9:15 p.m. on Sept. 27, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy was conducting a premise check at the public boat ramp in Public Landing and observed an occupied vehicle at the facility long after it had closed. The deputy made contact with the occupants to advise the boat ramp was closed after dark and detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
The deputy searched the vehicle and found over 32 grams of marijuana in the possession of the rear seat passenger, identified as Kyle Satterfield, 26, of Horntown, Va. The deputy also seized a glass smoking pipe, a metal grinder and rolling papers. Satterfield was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. This week, Satterfield pleaded guilty and sentenced to 30 days, all of which was suspended. He was then placed on probation for one year and fined $200.