SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER CHARGED BY OCPD

On January 6, at approximately 6 p.m., Ocean City Police received a complaint from a citizen about a vehicle that was stopped on the center medium at 17th Street. The caller related that they thought the driver might be drunk.

The witness stated they observed the driver outside of the vehicle, which was described as a Dodge sport utility vehicle; however, the driver then got back into the vehicle and drove off the elevated medium, heading south on Coastal Highway.

An OCPD sergeant, who was operating in a plain-clothes capacity, located the vehicle near the reported location and began to follow it, during which the Dodge struck numerous curbs, ran over a sidewalk and downed two streets signs at 12th Street and 9th Street.

Uniformed officers operating marked police vehicles got behind the Dodge in the area of 9th Street and Philadelphia Avenue. Suspecting the driver may be drunk, officers attempted to stop the vehicle. When the driver of the Dodge did not stop, officers became involved in a short vehicle pursuit, following the vehicle at 9th Street. The Dodge made a U –turn and started north. Officers continued to follow the Dodge at 15th Street. The Dodge struck a utility pole at 1800 Coastal Highway traveling at approximately 35 mph where it came to a final stop.

Police approached the vehicle and identified the driver, Shawn Allen Chaney, 42 of Ocean City. Cheney was treated at the scene by Ocean City Paramedics and flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center by Maryland State Police helicopter with non-life threatening injuries.

Because Chaney was being treated for injuries sustained as a result of the crash he was not charged until the following day. Chaney also was arrested by OCPD officers for suspicion of driving under the influence and/or intoxicated on Jan. 2, 2012. He was operating the same vehicle.

Chaney was charged with over 20 different traffic violations including:

21-405 a – Failure of Driver to Yield Right of Way to Police using Signals
21-405 b – Failure of Driver to Drive to Curb upon Signal by Police Vehicle
21-405 c – Failure of Driver to Stop upon Approach by Police Vehicle using Signals
21-904 b1 – Attempt by Driver to Elude Uniformed Police by Failing to Stop Vehicle
21-904 c1 – Attempt by Driver to Elude Police in Official Police Vehicle by Failing to Stop
21-902 a1 – Driving under the Influence of Alcohol
21-902 b1 – Driving while Impaired by Alcohol
Because Chaney was charged the following day he was released after being issued several Maryland traffic citations.