Sykesville Man Arrested After Police Chase

A Sykesville driver who allegedly led police on a chase through Ocean City now faces 49 traffic charges.

According to a statement released by police, Shawn Joseph Martin, 29, is charged with drunken driving, reckless driving and other charges.

Police say they saw a vehicle driving erratically on Coastal Highway at about 11:20 p.m. on May 20. Officers tried to stop the driver, whom they suspected was drunk, near 74th Street, but the driver didn’t stop.

That’s when the chase began.

The driver turned into a parking garage on 77th Street, according to police, and sped through it, driving into a bush. Officers tried several times to stop the vehicle, but according to police, the driver wouldn’t stop and, instead, drove through several stop signs, speeding through town.

Police say the driver got back onto Coastal Highway, crossed four lanes of traffic, lost control and, at one point, almost drove into the median. The driver then turned east onto 79th Street, according to police, drove up on the sidewalk and came to a stop after hitting a street sign.

The driver didn’t stop there, according to police. He got out of the vehicle and tried to escape. He was caught, however, and taken into custody.

Police identified the driver as Martin. They also said they confirmed Martin was intoxicated.

Martin faces 49 citations for a host of reckless and aggressive driving charges, as well as charges of driving under the influence, according to court records. He was released on $25,000 unsecured bond and must appear in court for 12 of the citations.