OC Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Fatal Hit-and-Run

OCEAN CITY, Md. – The Office of the Worcester County State’s Attorney (SA) has announced that James John Johnson has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run he committed in Dec. 2024.

The 58-year-old man from Ocean City was sentenced on one count of second degree murder on Mar. 25 by Judge Brian D. Shockley of the Worcester County Circuit Court. Johnson was granted 463 days of credit for time served and ordered to provide a DNA sample.

The charges stem from an incident on Dec. 16, 2024, when Ocean City EMS and police were called to respond to a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian in the parking lot at 92nd Street and Coastal Highway. Upon arrival, they found the victim, James Callahan, lying in the parking lot with life-threatening injuries and transported him to Atlantic General Hospital, now known as TidalHealth Atlantic, where he was ultimately pronounced deceased.

Witnesses on scene reported seeing Callahan interact with the operator of a black SUV in the intersection just prior to the collision. They told authorities they observed the SUV intentionally strike the victim in a road-rage style incident. Officers subsequently obtained surveillance video footage of the collision from surrounding businesses, which showed the black SUV rapidly accelerating through the parking lot and targeting Callahan, ultimately intentionally striking him at a high rate of speed.

Officers proceeded to canvas the area and found the SUV parked on 77th Street with damage consistent with the collision. They made contact with Johnson, who admitted to operating the vehicle that day. A search of the vehicle revealed receipts showing Johnson had picked up food from a restaurant approximately 200 feet from the scene of the collision just minutes before it had occurred.