Four people died Friday night in a fiery crash when the SUV they had stolen earlier in an armed carjacking crashed into a tree and burst into flames.
The Prince George’s County Police Department said it was working to identify the victims of the crash, but the “severity of the burn injuries” was hindering the process.
“Once their identities are confirmed, and their families are notified, their names will be released,” the department said.
The department said the incident began at about 7:30 p.m. on Friday when officers in Mitchellville noted the Kia Sorento with expired temporary tags. They attempted a traffic stop, but the Kia sped off. After briefly attempting a pursuit, they lost track of the vehicle and disengaged.
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In the meantime, the officers learned that the vehicle’s registration didn’t match the paper tag. They tried unsuccessfully to locate the vehicle, and then learned it was involved in a fiery crash nearly three miles away.
“According to an independent witness … the driver of the Kia passed them using the shoulder of the roadway,” police said. “While attempting the pass, the driver of the Kia lost control and crashed into a tree.”
In the subsequent investigation, detectives learned that armed carjackers stole the Kia in Greenbelt, about 8 miles away, earlier in the day.
While the incident is under administrative review, the department said, the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division determined that it didn’t qualify as an officer-involved fatality.
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