Stewart Responds After Delegate Car Caught Driving Recklessly
On July 3, Reddit user lucass1112 posted a video showing a Chevy Bolt with a Maryland license plate reading "House of Delegates 58" driving “like a jackass” as it weaved through traffic on Norbeck Road in Rockville. Users expressed outrage that an elected official would flaunt driving rules and speculated about the identity of the car’s owner.
The Montgonion reposted the video to X, where the overwhelming sentiment was “for thee, not for me,” and more people wondered which Maryland Delegate drove the car. By mid-July, the video had been viewed thousands of times.
On July 17, a reader tip led to the home of Vaughn Stewart, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 19 in Montgomery County since 2019.
There were two cars in Vaughn's driveway: a Chevy Bolt identical to the one in the video and a Ford. The Ford had a "House of Delegates 58" license plate, while the Chevy from the video now had a standard Maryland plate.
With Stewart identified as the owner of the vehicle seen in the video, the posts blew up on social media. Including reposts, the video. was viewed well over 100,000 times, with netizens asking why a House of Delegates 58 plate was on the Ford, but no longer on the Chevy Bolt. Stewart, who has an X account but stopped posting last year, was tagged in hundreds of comments. After 48 hours, users were demanding his response.
The video has been view more than 100K times across social media platforms.
The Montgonion contacted Delegate Stewart for comment. He responded promptly and candidly, providing documents to support his explanation.
According to Stewart, neither he nor his spouse was driving the Chevy when it was recorded on July 3. The vehicle was driven, with Stewart’s consent, by an individual who experienced a crisis during an outing and became anxious to reach medical help. Stewart said the manner of driving in the video is not reflective of the individual's regular driving habits.
Stewart described the driving in the video as “not good, not safe,” and added that he is a strong believer in keeping roads safe. He supported the Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act, which passed this year, making excessive speed and aggressive behavior behind the wheel carry real criminal consequences in Maryland.
"I am personally a boring driver. I have a completely clean driving record," Stewart told The Montgonion.
As for the license plate change on the Chevy, Stewart explained that in the wake of the June 14 assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the wounding of other lawmakers, Maryland House and Senate members were encouraged to transfer their vehicles to standard-issue license plates, among other safety measures.
Stewart said he ordered new plates for the Chevy at the beginning of July and installed them last week. His other vehicle will also soon bear regular plates. The Montgonion has seen evidence, provided by Stewart, of the Chevy's registration with standard tags.
When asked why he hadn't responded to the outcry on social media, Stewart claimed he just learned about the video on Saturday and wasn't aware it had been viewed by thousands of people. Stewart said that while he understands why people are upset about the driving in the video and the overall optics of the situation, the actual circumstances don't warrant additional attention and he is unlikely to issue any further statements.
Editor’s Note: This report is a diversion from our regular satirical content and entertainment and is part of The Montgonion’s ongoing expansion into other genres and community activism.
