On November 23,
2015, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Sheriff’s Office Corporal Jamie Davis
responded to a reported traffic complaint in the area of Point Lookout Road in
Loveville, St. Mary’s County. Several citizens observed a vehicle operating in a
reckless manner and on the wrong side of the roadway. Corporal Davis located the
vehicle in the area of Rt. 242 at Rt. 234 and initiated a vehicle stop. During
the vehicle stop, the driver of the vehicle attempted to elude officers by
fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed. After traveling on Rt. 242, toward
the seventh district, the driver made in abrupt U-turn and headed back toward
Leonardtown. Deputies deployed stop sticks in an attempt to disable the vehicle
which was successful at slowing the speeds. As the pursuit continued onto
Washington Street in Leonardtown, the driver struck a police vehicle being
operated by Corporal J. Vezzosi. The suspect continued on Washington Street,
striking another vehicle operated by a citizen at which time deputies used their
vehicles to prevent the driver from fleeing further allowing them to take the
suspect into custody. The suspect was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
for non-life-threatening injuries. The citizen, whose vehicle was struck by the
suspect, was not injured in the low-speed collision. Corporal Vezzosi was
transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
and later released. The suspect, James Robert Gillespie, age 63, of Leonardtown,
was released from the hospital and transported to the St. Mary’s County
Detention Center. He was charged with Resisting Arrest, Driving Under the
Influence, Driving without a License, Fleeing and Eluding, and multiple traffic
offenses.
