Driver With Prior Fatal DUI Conviction Gets 18 Months for Hit-and-Run That Seriously Injured Cyclist

A driver with a decades-old conviction in a fatal drunken driving crash pleaded guilty Monday to hit-and-run for seriously injuring a cyclist in northern Baltimore County last year.

Gregory Morton, 43, of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, told the court he did not realize he had struck the cyclist. Following his guilty plea in Baltimore County Circuit Court, he was sentenced to 18 months in the Baltimore County Detention Center.

At about 2:25 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2025, Morton was driving north on York Road in a Dodge Ram pickup in the Sparks Glencoe area when he struck a cyclist riding on the shoulder. Authorities said Morton did not stop after the collision. The impact threw the cyclist about 50 feet, causing life-threatening injuries to his spine, liver, spleen, lungs and ribs.

Assistant State's Attorney Felise Kelly told Judge Thomas Tompsett that the Baltimore County crash was not the only alcohol-related collision involving Morton.

Four days after the York Road crash, Morton was allegedly involved in another DUI crash in a different county.

And there was a third alcohol-related offense from years earlier, she said.

"The other significant factor that you need to know about the defendant is that he has previously killed someone," Kelly told Tompsett.

Kelly said Morton was convicted 20 years ago in a fatal alcohol-related crash in Harford County.

Court records show Morton was convicted in 2006 when he was 23 of felony negligent homicide while impaired. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

The Baltimore County Courtroom Observer has requested additional records related to the September 4, 2005, crash under the Maryland Public Information Act. That request remains pending.

In the Baltimore County case, Tompsett agreed to allow Morton to serve his sentence in the county jail. The suspended sentence means Morton could be returned to jail for the balance of his sentence if he violates his five years of supervised probation.

Defense attorney Leonard Shapiro said Morton is a Marine combat veteran who suffers from PTSD and other mental health conditions. He said Morton turned to alcohol to self-medicate and routinely drank while driving to and from work in Washington, D.C., and Virginia to hide his drinking from his family.

Shapiro described Morton as a devoted family man who worked hard to achieve the American dream. He also said Morton suffers from one of the most severe cases of alcohol use disorder he has encountered during his legal career.

In the Aug. 7 collision, witnesses and police said Morton's pickup crossed the white fog line onto the shoulder, where 48-year-old Martin Schaech was riding northbound on his bicycle. The truck struck Schaech from behind. Passersby, including a postal worker, witnessed the crash and called 911.

Schaech was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he remained hospitalized for two weeks. He then spent six weeks in a rehabilitation facility and continues to recover from his injuries.

"The fact that you didn't kill him is a miracle, and it's a miracle that you're not going to jail for a lot longer," Tompsett told Morton.

The judge said the law cannot adequately address the harm caused by people who repeatedly drive while impaired, both to their communities and to their own families.

Investigators said truck parts recovered at the crash scene, along with surveillance video and witness statements, helped identify Morton as the driver.

Four days after striking Schaech, Morton was arrested in Montgomery County and charged with driving under the influence. Maryland State Police said Morton attempted to pass slow-moving traffic on the shoulder of Interstate 495, struck a work truck, and then exited onto Maryland Route 97.

"The employees in that truck didn't want to be blamed for the accident, so they followed him and made contact with him," Kelly said.

That case remains pending.

Kelly asked Tompsett to place Morton on five years of supervised probation after his release, saying the extended supervision would provide greater protection for the public. It is unclear whether Morton's Pennsylvania driver's license will be revoked as a result of the Maryland conviction.

Morton apologized to Schaech in court and said he had no idea he had struck anyone until authorities informed him after his arrest in the Montgomery County case.

"It ripped my heart out of my chest when I got the phone call," Morton said.

Morton said he checked himself into a rehabilitation program after the Montgomery County arrest and has remained sober since.