ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA (Rocktown Now) — At approximately 9:18 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026, Virginia State Police (VSP) received a lookout for a reckless driver operating a black Mitsubishi SUV with New York registration southbound on Interstate 81 near the 270-mile marker in Shenandoah County.

VSP Sergeant Jessica Shehan reports that a trooper assigned to the Interstate Criminal Enforcement Unit encountered the vehicle traveling southbound near the 256-mile marker in Rockingham County. After observing the vehicle’s driving behavior, the trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop near Exit 251.

When the trooper activated his emergency lights and siren, the driver allegedly refused to stop, accelerated to a high rate of speed, and continued operating the vehicle recklessly.

The vehicle ultimately stopped near the 250-mile marker, and the driver was taken into custody without incident.

The driver, 21-year-old Lomoro Mustafa Francis Jr. of Binghamton, New York, was charged with:

  • Felony eluding
  • Driving without a valid driver’s license
  • Reckless driving by speed
  • Failure to maintain lane

Francis was transported to the Rockingham-Harrisonburg Regional Jail, where he was held on a $2,500 secured bond.