On July 28, 2017, Robert Colin Bearden entered a plea of guilty to DUI per se as a subsequent offender. This plea stemmed from a hit-and-run incident on the Kent Narrows Bridge that occurred on December 30, 2016; during the course of the investigation conducted by Troopers Bruzzese and Philippi, it was learned that Mr. Bearden had a .24 Blood Alcohol Level.  Shortly after he was released from police custody on that date (approximately eight hours), Mr. Bearden drove again and was involved in a serious motor vehicle collision on the Anne Arundel County side of the Bay Bridge;  Mr. Bearden seriously injured two other people in that matter, was found to be driving at a .18 Blood Alcohol Level, and was prosecuted in that case.

On February 16, 2018, Mr. Bearden was sentenced by Judge Thomas G. Ross to 18 months of incarceration at the Division of Correction.  This sentence will be served consecutively to the 18 months he received in his Anne Arundel County matter.

Mr. Bearden’s motor vehicle record consists of the following jailable traffic matters: 1994 Probation Before Judgment for a 21-902 Offense, 1996 Conviction for Flee/Elude, 1999 Conviction for Driving while Impaired by Alcohol, 2016 Probation Before Judgment for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol/Drugs, 2018 Conviction for Causing Life Threatening Injuries while Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, and the 2018 conviction for DUI per se for the instant offense.

Mr. Bearden was represented by Brendan Callahan. This matter was prosecuted by Christine Dulla Rickard, Deputy State’s Attorney.