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Justin Connor, of Rochester, NY, who was 27 at the time of the July 2023 incident, was sentenced on May 23, 2024 to seven years and three months in prison by Judge Matthew P. Snow, the county sheriff's office announced.
Connor was found unconscious behind the wheel of the car in the Sheetz gas station parking lot at Dulles Plaza in Sterling, around 8:25 a.m. July 22, 2023, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies approached the vehicle and saw drugs and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. That's when Connor regained consciousness and put the vehicle in drive, nearly striking two deputies, authorities said.
Connor continued to flee from deputies, driving on Shaw Road and turning onto Sterling Boulevard. In the area of Maple Avenue, Connor drove the vehicle northbound in the southbound lanes of Sterling Boulevard and struck multiple vehicles. He was immediately apprehended.
Upon investigating, deputies discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen out of New York. The driver also hindered the investigation by providing false information.
A total of four people were transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries including the driver and passenger of the fleeing vehicle. A deputy was also treated at an area hospital after being bitten by a dog that was in the fleeing vehicle.
Connor was charged with one count of felony eluding, one count of felony driving while intoxicated resulting in the maiming of another, one count of driving without a license, one count of falsely identifying self to law enforcement, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of inadequate animal care, and one count of cruelty to animals.
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