On Friday evening, September 29, an accident occurred in Mitchellville, Maryland, leading to the death of four people. 

The situation began when the driver of a stolen Kia Sorento with expired temporary tags avoided a traffic stop initiated by the Prince George’s County Police Department. Instead of stopping, the driver sped away, prompting a short chase by the officers. 

Prioritizing safety, the police decided to end the pursuit once they lost visual contact with the SUV. Tragically, the situation deteriorated quickly from there.

Within approximately four minutes of the police discontinuing their chase, an independent witness reported seeing the Kia driver trying to pass another vehicle by using the road’s shoulder. This move caused the driver to lose control, resulting in the SUV crashing into a tree and erupting in flames. The intensity of the blaze complicated immediate rescue operations. As a result, all four occupants of the vehicle died from their injuries. Due to the extent of the fire, identifying the deceased posed a challenge initially.

Further examination revealed that the Kia Sorento involved in this tragic accident was stolen earlier the same day during an armed carjacking in Greenbelt. After a thorough review, the Maryland attorney general’s office determined that this incident doesn’t qualify as an officer-involved fatality, given the crash site’s distance of over two miles from where the initial traffic stop took place.