A repair-and-service company in Elkton is down half its fleet after a thief swiped one of its two work pickups from a yard next to the Flying J travel center, then took it on a ride into Pennsylvania that ended with crashes in Philadelphia. The move that saved the day for investigators was one the suspect probably never thought about at all: the truck’s built-in GPS and dash camera.
Dash camera and GPS provided the lead
Elkton Police Sgt. Thomas Saulsbury told reporters the stolen work truck was equipped with onboard GPS and an interior camera that recorded the trip and captured the driver’s behavior. According to WMAR‑2 News, Philadelphia police located the pickup after it struck two vehicles and a bridge and became disabled, giving investigators a clear trail to follow.
Saulsbury told WMAR‑2 News the video appears to show the driver “using drugs” while behind the wheel. Elkton police pulled still images from the footage, identified a suspect, and obtained an arrest warrant. The suspect was identified as 36‑year‑old Jeremy Grace of Middletown, Delaware.
Grace was later located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, after another department stopped him for an alleged theft and officers there discovered drugs on his person. He is in custody in Virginia and is expected to be extradited to Maryland to face a felony theft charge.
One truck, big pinch for a local firm
The stolen pickup belonged to a repair-and-service business that operates adjacent to the Flying J Travel Center at Pilot Flying J on Belle Hill Road in Elkton. The owners told reporters that losing one of only two service rigs effectively cut their capacity in half and forced them to scramble to cover both scheduled calls and emergency work.
Why dash cams and GPS matter
Onboard cameras and fleet telematics can provide investigators with time-stamped video and precise location data that help identify suspects and recover stolen vehicles. Automakers and telematics providers outline stolen-vehicle location and in-car camera features on their sites, for example NissanConnect, which shows how built-in systems can assist law enforcement and vehicle owners.
What happens next
Local police say the Virginia agency is holding Grace while Maryland authorities complete extradition paperwork and prepare felony theft charges. Elkton Police are asking anyone with tips or information about the case to contact the department. Contact details are posted on the town’s police page at elkton.org.
