AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

July 18, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MOVING COMPANY TRUCK DRIVER SENTENCED TO OVER 8 YEARS IN PRISON FOR INJURING MOTORISTS HE RAMMED DURING A POLICE CHASE

Deliberately Rammed at Least Five Cars While Fleeing on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway

Greenbelt, Maryland - . U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. sentenced Michael A. Jasper, age 40, of Hanover, Maryland, today to 98 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in connection with injuries that Jasper caused to motorists whom he rammed while driving his company’s truck on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway as he fled from police.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Chief Teresa Chambers of the U.S. Park Police; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County

Police Chief James Teare, Sr.

“It was not an ‘accident’ when Michael A. Jasper crashed his truck into cars on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, it was a violent crime that warrants punishment,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his guilty plea, on March 31, 2010 and while working for a moving company on a job in New Carrollton, Maryland, Jasper was involved in an assault. Jasper jumped into the company truck he was using and fled. Prince George’s County Police officers attempted to stop the truck, but Jasper led police on a chase from country roads to the Capital Beltway and then onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. While fleeing on the Parkway, Jasper deliberately rammed at least five cars.

In one crash, Jasper rammed the rear of a car, pushing it into the tree line. The car crashed head first into a tree and the driver had to be cut out of the car by emergency services personnel and flown to a local hospital for treatment of a broken sternum and concussion. The driver was recently referred to a pain clinic as a result of his injuries.

In another collision, Jasper crashed into a car being driven by a man with his 10 year old daughter in the passenger seat. The car went into the tree line and rolled over twice. The man and his daughter both suffered neck and back injuries, requiring medical treatment and physical therapy.

Jasper fled into Anne Arundel County, where he stole a pack of cigarettes from a liquor store. Jasper was subsequently arrested by Anne Arundel County Police.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Park Police, Prince George’s County Police Department and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hollis R. Weisman, who prosecuted the case.