OCEAN CITY — A Delaware man, issued 30-plus charges in October including the recently-created exhibition driving charge following a high-speed chase through the uptown area, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay over $600 in fines.
Steven Warner II, now 21, of Lewes, Del., was in court last week to face 32 separate charges stemming from the high-speed chase during the fall cruising event in October. Warner pleaded guilty to exhibition driving in a special enforcement zone, a charge created by the Maryland General Assembly last winter in response to the often-troublesome motorized special events in the resort. For that count, Warner was fined $57.50. However, Warner also pleaded guilty to attempting to elude police and for that count he was fined $557.50.
Around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was patrolling in the area of Jamestown Road when he observed a black and silver Go-Ped brand motor scooter with no lights zoom across multiple lanes of Coastal Highway in between moving vehicles.
The OCPD officer followed the scooter operator, later identified as Warner, as he drove through a red traffic signal at 120th Street. The officer activated his siren and emergency lights in an attempt to affect a traffic stop, but Warner accelerated away and continued to flee, according to police reports.
Warner reportedly made a large circle around the ocean-block streets at 126th Street and 127th Street before re-emerging on Coastal Highway at 127th Street. According to police reports, Warner drove across several lanes of traffic in a northwest direction, causing multiple motorists to activate their brakes in order to avoid a collision. Multiple motorists slammed on their brakes to narrowly miss Warner as he crossed several lanes of traffic.
Warner then drove through the intersection of Coastal Highway and 127th Street before continuing north in the southbound lanes against oncoming traffic. He reportedly drove north in the southbound lanes of Coastal Highway for four blocks from 127th Street to 131st Street.
OCPD officers continued to pursue Warner west on 131st Street to Sinepuxent Avenue, where he reportedly abandoned the scooter and fled on foot. One officer caught up to Warner and activated his conductive electrical weapon, or Taser, to gain compliance and take him into custody. He was apprehended on 130th Street after running between buildings.
