MECHANICSVILLE, Md. – A Mechanicsville woman is facing a series of charges after allegedly stealing her father’s vehicle and leading police on a high-speed pursuit through St. Mary’s and Charles counties on October 1, 2024. Kelly Morgan Carlson, 37, was charged with motor vehicle theft, eluding police, reckless driving, and related offenses.
According to Maryland State Police, officers were dispatched to a home on Livingston Drive in Mechanicsville after receiving a report of a stolen vehicle. The complainant, identified as Carlson’s father, stated that his daughter took his burgundy Chevrolet Silverado without permission after an argument. Carlson, who had recently been released from a psychiatric unit and was reportedly still experiencing mental health challenges, grabbed the keys from her father’s pocket before fleeing in the truck.
Troopers soon located the Silverado at a traffic light on New Market Turner Road and confirmed it matched the stolen vehicle report. When officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Thompson’s Corner Road, Carlson reportedly refused to stop, leading police on a pursuit that reached speeds of 100 mph on Budd’s Creek Road. Deputies deployed stop sticks multiple times during the chase, but Carlson evaded them by swerving around.
The pursuit was terminated upon entering Charles County, per authorization from the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack. Carlson later contacted her father from Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia, stating that she was scared. The Silverado was located in the hospital’s parking lot and returned to her father by Fredericksburg police.
Carlson has been charged with motor vehicle theft, theft of property valued between $25,000 and $100,000, attempting to elude police, reckless driving, negligent driving, speeding, and failing to stop at a stop sign. She was released on her own recognizance following a bond review hearing and is scheduled to appear in St. Mary’s County District Court on January 30, 2025.
This case underscores the challenges law enforcement faces during high-speed pursuits and highlights the importance of addressing mental health in criminal cases.
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