A stolen SUV crashed into a tree in Prince George’s County, engulfing in flames and killing all four occupants. The SUV had been stolen in an earlier carjacking. The police had briefly chased the stolen vehicle but lost sight of it and called off the pursuit. Shortly after, the vehicle crashed and caught fire. Due to the severity of burn injuries, the identities and genders of the victims are currently unknown. The police are working to determine the circumstances of the crash and provide answers to the families and community.
According to officials, the incident began when officers spotted a Kia Sorento with expired temporary tags. They tried to stop the vehicle by turning on their flashing lights and sirens, but the vehicle sped off. The police briefly pursued the stolen SUV but lost sight of it and disengaged from the chase. Moments later, the Kia crashed into a tree and caught fire. The four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The stolen SUV was identified as the same vehicle that was reported stolen earlier that morning in Greenbelt. In the carjacking incident, a man reported being approached by five people, one of whom was armed with a gun, demanding his vehicle. The group stole the SUV and fled towards the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The names of the crash victims will be released after their identities are confirmed and their families notified. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office’s Independent Investigations Division reviewed the incident and determined that no law enforcement action was taken by the police officers in the four minutes leading up to the crash, so it does not qualify as an officer-involved fatality.