Crime & Safety

Donuts On Bay Bridge, Driver Caught On Video, Charged: Police

Thanks to a viral social media video, police caught the driver accused of doing donuts on the Bay Bridge. Officers wrote him 23 tickets.

The Maryland Transportation Authority Police say they caught the driver accused of doing donuts on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Sunday. On Thursday, police issued 23 tickets and four misdemeanor charges to Gary Ray Montague Jr. of Dumfries, Virginia.
The Maryland Transportation Authority Police say they caught the driver accused of doing donuts on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Sunday. On Thursday, police issued 23 tickets and four misdemeanor charges to Gary Ray Montague Jr. of Dumfries, Virginia. (Elizabeth Janney/Patch)

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A video of a driver doing donuts on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge started to circulate on social media on Sunday. Police say they heard about the video the same day and immediately launched an investigation.

On Thursday, the Maryland Transportation Authority identified the suspect as 22-year-old Gary Ray Montague Jr. of Dumfries, Virginia. Officers gave Montague more than 20 tickets and charged him with several crimes.

The burnout, as some people call it, came after a rowdy car rally in Ocean City. The unofficial gathering, known as H2Oi, led to about 3,500 tickets, 2,500 traffic stops, 350 vehicle impounds and several hundred arrests, according to Gov. Larry Hogan. One officer was injured during an arrest attempt, police say.

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The rally drew large crowds and shut down busy streets to watch loud cars parade by, sometimes in a reckless manner. It is not clear whether Montague was in Ocean City last weekend, but the incident happened the day H2Oi ended on the westbound span of the Bay Bridge, heading back from the Eastern Shore.

Police issued 23 tickets to Montague. Those citations include reckless driving, willfully damaging a highway and driving a motor vehicle in a manner intended to cause skidding

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Montague also faces four misdemeanors. The accused man is up against these charges:

  1. Disturbance of the peace that hindered passengers
  2. Disorderly Conduct
  3. Disturbance of the peace through disorderly conduct
  4. Disturbance of the peace with loud noises

The court issued a summons for Montague on Monday, but it has not yet been served, according to court documents. Queen Anne's County is handling the case, since the incident happened closest to the Eastern Shore.

Montague will first appear in court for on Nov. 18 for a preliminary hearing. His case does not yet list jury selection or trial dates.

Where To Find The Video

More than 8,600 Facebook users have shared the most popular video of the incident. It has more than 2,000 comments and 1,800 reactions.

That clip is viewable at this link. Another angle of the donuts is available here.

A photo of the resulting skid marks is posted on Facebook.

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