LA PLATA, Md. — A Waldorf man is facing handgun and traffic charges after an early-morning crash on Crain Highway (U.S. 301) in Charles County, where troopers say they found a loaded handgun, a shotgun and alcohol containers inside his vehicle, according to court documents.
Justin Tyler Pensmith, 33, is charged with handgun in vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired, reckless driving, negligent driving and failing to obey designated lane directions.
Trooper Miller of the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack was dispatched about 2:10 a.m. Nov. 22 to U.S. Route 301 at Rosewick Road in La Plata for a single-vehicle crash involving a red Dodge Challenger, according to a statement of probable cause. Miller arrived around 2:30 a.m. and was met by La Plata police officers who said they had a man in the vehicle later identified as Pensmith.
Pensmith was “very combative,” said he had done nothing wrong and initially refused medical treatment, the trooper reported. Miller wrote that he smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on Pensmith’s breath and observed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. When asked whether he had been drinking before driving, Pensmith said no and declined to perform standardized field sobriety tests, according to the filing.
Inside the car, Miller reported seeing several empty bottles and one full bottle of tequila on the floorboard, along with a mason jar containing suspected marijuana. A search of the vehicle incident to arrest turned up a Centurion 12-gauge shotgun and a Glock 30 handgun, both with rounds in their magazines.
Investigators noted that Pensmith had a Maryland handgun permit, but records show it expired April 30, 2025.
Miller wrote that he advised Pensmith of his rights at about 3:00 a.m. and asked him to submit to an intoximeter test. Pensmith refused, saying he had just been in an accident, according to the statement. Around 3:35 a.m., he said he needed to go to the hospital and was taken to the UM Charles Regional Medical Center.
Pensmith was released from the hospital just after 7:00 a.m. and taken to the Charles County Detention Center. Court records show he was later released on his own recognizance the same day.
A trial is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2026, in Charles County District Court.
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