The Maryland Office of the Attorney General has declined to file criminal charges against a Calvert County Sheriff’s Office deputy whose brief vehicle pursuit ended in a fatal crash that killed a Lusby woman in Prince Frederick.
The Independent Investigations Division released its seven-page declination report publicly on March 23, 2026, determining that Deputy Ryan Campbell did not commit a crime under Maryland law in the December 12, 2025, incident. The report, dated March 16, 2026, focused solely on the deputy’s conduct and found insufficient evidence of criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle.
On December 12, 2025, at about 12:30 a.m., Deputy Campbell, who had been employed by the sheriff’s office since January 2024, was parked in the median on Maryland State Route 4 when he spotted a Nissan sedan with a brake light out. He followed the vehicle onto W. Dares Beach Road and then N. Prince Frederick Boulevard. Just before 12:31 a.m. near the roundabout at N. Prince Frederick Boulevard and Chapline Place Boulevard, he activated emergency lights and sirens for a traffic stop. The driver did not stop.
Deputy Campbell immediately radioed dispatch to report the pursuit, which a supervisor acknowledged. The chase lasted roughly 40 seconds and covered about 0.8 miles. During that time, the deputy stayed seven to eight seconds behind the Nissan, kept his lights and sirens on, maintained control of his cruiser, reported the fleeing vehicle traveling at 83 miles per hour, and did not run any red lights. Traffic in the area was light.
At about 12:31 a.m., the Nissan turned right onto Stoakley Road and, seconds later, drove at a high rate of speed through a red light at the intersection with Maryland Route 4, also known as Solomons Island Road N. It struck the driver’s side of a Honda sedan traveling southbound through a green light, driven by 58-year-old Servon Gatewood of Lusby. The impact pushed both the Nissan and the Honda into a stationary Kia SUV waiting in the northbound turn lane on Maryland Route 4. Deputy Campbell’s cruiser did not collide with any vehicles.
Gatewood was trapped in her vehicle and found unresponsive. Emergency medical services transported her, the Nissan driver and the Kia occupants to a local hospital. Gatewood was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Nissan driver, identified as 32-year-old Savon Q. Samuel of Pikesville, and the Kia driver and passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Deputy Campbell arrived at the scene about eight seconds after the crash, approached the Nissan and arrested Samuel. Other deputies assisted with initial medical aid until EMS took over.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on December 12, 2025, and ruled Gatewood’s death the result of multiple injuries from the motor vehicle collision. The manner of death was classified as an accident. The Maryland State Police crash investigation report matched the sequence of events.
Calvert County Sheriff’s Office policies allowed the pursuit because the deputy had reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation and the driver refused to stop. The department’s manual requires deputies to weigh the need to apprehend against potential danger, use emergency equipment, advise dispatch immediately and seek supervisor approval. Deputies have discretion to continue or end a pursuit. The report states Campbell’s actions complied with those guidelines.
The Independent Investigations Division reviewed body-worn camera footage, dispatch records, police reports, photographs, department policies and the crash investigation before reaching its conclusion. The legal analysis applied Maryland law on criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle, which requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the deputy drove in a criminally negligent manner and caused the death. Criminal negligence demands a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonably prudent police officer would exercise.
Prosecutors determined the evidence could not meet that standard. The decision to initiate the pursuit was authorized under policy and occurred in low-traffic conditions with supervisor approval. During the brief chase, the deputy used proper emergency equipment, maintained control and followed radio procedures. The report concludes there was insufficient evidence that Campbell created a substantial and unjustifiable risk to human life or failed to perceive such a risk in a manner that was a gross deviation from reasonable care. Therefore, no charges will be filed against him.
The investigation did not address civil liability or the sheriff’s office administrative review. Samuel has been charged separately with multiple criminal offenses by the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The case highlights the challenges of balancing public safety and law enforcement in Southern Maryland, where Calvert County roads see steady traffic near residential areas and major routes like Maryland Route 4. The short duration of the pursuit and strict adherence to policy were central to the declination decision.
The full report is available through the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
