Ashburn To Vienna Pursuit With Stolen Car Leads To Sentence

ASHBURN, VA — A stolen vehicle pursuit starting in Ashburn and ending near Vienna has led to a prison sentence for a Leesburg man.

A Loudoun County Circuit Court judge sentenced Joseph Christopher Daniel to six years and three months in prison, Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson announced. The sentence relates to charges of driving with a revoked or suspended license, two counts of misdemeanor eluding, one count of reckless driving, one count of felony eluding, one count of possession of a schedule I or II drug, one count of receiving stolen goods and one count of obstruction of justice. According to the prosecutor's office, a judge agreed with prosecutors to recommend a sentence above the sentencing guidelines.

Daniel is facing additional charges in Fairfax County, where the pursuit had ended. Fairfax County Police had charged Daniel with robbery-carjacking, felony disregard police command to stop, felony hit and run, driving without an operator's license, and reckless driving.

"It is an absolute miracle that no one was killed by his criminal behavior while trying to evade
capture at the expense of everyone’s safety," said Anderson in a statement. "I would like to thank the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Police Department, and Virginia State Police who all coordinated their efforts and stopped this individual before anyone was seriously injured or killed."

The sentence resulted from an Oct. 30, 2023 pursuit. The sheriff's office said the pursuit involved a 2005 black Hummer H2 that had been reported stolen in Chantilly on March 16, 2023 and was repainted from green to black.

Around 2 p.m. on Oct. 30, sheriff's deputies responded to a report about suspicious activity with a vehicle at a bank in Ashburn. After the driver fled on Loudoun County Parkway, a deputy saw the black Hummer go through a red light and nearly cause a multi-vehicle crash. Prosecutors say the driver continued at a high speed, passing vehicles on the shoulder, weaving in and out of moving traffic and driving on the opposite side of the road into oncoming traffic.

Continuing onto the toll road, the pursuit entered Fairfax County and prompted Fairfax County Police and Virginia State Police to seek the vehicle. The vehicle continued onto I-495 north, passing Tysons Boulevard. At 2:45 p.m., prosecutors say Daniel stopped at Chain Bridge Road and Flint Hill Road just outside Vienna, got out of the SUV and tried to carjack a vehicle. After Daniel attempted to breaking the car window and fled on foot, Fairfax County Police and Virginia State Police arrested him.

According to the sheriff's office, the pursuit stretched more than 30 miles and caused multiple cars to be struck. There were no reported injuries.

A bystander had initially reported the vehicle as an abduction. The sheriff's office said they were investigating the abduction claim, but an abduction charge never resulted.