Wild Police Chase Ends With Fugitive's Arrest in Stafford

STAFFORD, VA—A fugitive was arrested Tuesday night after a harrowing chase both on and off Interstate 95 that included collisions with several vehicles, including police cars, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office.

Gary Robert Freeze, 38, of Stafford, was charged with eluding law enforcement, reckless driving, felony hit-and-run, driving revoked, defective equipment, aggressive driving, failure to signal a lane change, passing on the shoulder of a highway and following too closely. He also was served with outstanding warrants out of Fredericksburg, Caroline County and Spotsylvania County for felony larceny related offenses.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., a deputy was in the Olde Forge subdivision when he spotted a vehicle driven by Freeze, who he knew was wanted for the felony related offenses. He tried to pull him over in the area of Anvil road and Sledgehammer Driver but Freeze kept going despite the arrival of other police cruisers.

The deputy pulled ahead of the vehicle to block the road, but Freeze hit the passenger side of the cruiser and continued onward. The chase then proceeded onto Warrenton Road and then northbound I-95, where Freeze hit two police cruisers and at least two other vehicles.

Freeze then took the 143A exit and hit a cruiser near the intersection of Washington Drive and Garrisonville Road. In the area of the Mine Road commuter lot, an officer made intentional contact with Freeze, who lost control and spun off the road into a grassy area. Meanwhile, the officer's cruiser became engulfed in flames.

With the help of a K-9 unit, Freeze eventually was found hiding in the woods near the crash scene and taken to jail. He's being held without bond.

Photo: Stafford County Sheriff's Office