GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — A man has been arrested after a racing gathering in Gloucester led to a high-speed police pursuit and ended in a crash at a local dealership.
According to the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began when deputies received a tip regarding a large group of vehicles racing into the county.
Deputies reported seeing around 100 vehicles in the White Marsh parking lot just before 12 midnight Saturday, many of which were driving recklessly and spinning out in the parking lot.
Deputies attempted to disperse the crowd and saw a Ford Mustang exit the parking lot onto George Washington Memorial Highway while “spinning its tires and driving in a reckless manner.”
One deputy attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it refused to comply, leading to police pursuit with the suspect vehicle reaching speeds of 125mph on George Washington Memorial Highway. At one point, deputies say the vehicle cut off its lights while traveling at 117mph.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle lost control and crashed into the Auto Max dealership in the 3900 block of George Washington Memorial Highway. The suspect struck four vehicles parked at the dealership along with a light pole.
In surveillance footage shown below, video from the scene shows the moment the vehicle crashed into the dealership. (Video Courtesy – Joe Volpe)
Deputies say the driver, later identified as 22-year-old Newport News resident Julius Bishop, put the car in reverse and attempted to flee the scene. He was subsequently arrested.
Bishop is facing multiple charges including felony elude, reckless driving, speeding, two counts of failing to maintain control of a vehicle, having improper lights, four counts of felony destruction of property, and wearing a mask to conceal his identity.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
