A juvenile passenger critically injured in a high-speed police-involved vehicle collision on December 3, 2024, in La Plata, Charles County, Maryland, has died, according to the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
The juvenile, whose name is withheld under juvenile privacy laws, succumbed to injuries at a local hospital on Thursday, December 5, 2024. The IID had launched an investigation into the incident shortly after it occurred, as mandated for cases involving civilian injuries likely to result in death.
The incident began when deputies with the King George County Sheriff’s Office (KGSO) in Virginia pursued a blue Kia following a reported robbery in King George. The pursuit crossed into Maryland, prompting the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and La Plata Police Department (LPPD) to coordinate a response.
Preliminary findings indicate that CCSO and LPPD officers positioned themselves along Robert Crain Highway (Route 301) with emergency lights activated and deployed tire deflation devices to stop the vehicle. The Kia struck the devices but continued at speeds exceeding 100 mph. No Maryland officers pursued the vehicle directly.
The chase ended at approximately 4:06 a.m. in the 6600 block of Route 301 when the Kia collided with an uninvolved civilian vehicle at the intersection of Port Tobacco Road. Officers on the scene provided first aid to individuals in both vehicles until emergency medical services (EMS) arrived.
The juvenile driver and front-seat passenger of the Kia were taken to a local hospital, where the driver remains in critical condition. The driver of the uninvolved civilian vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured during the incident.
All officers involved were equipped with body-worn cameras, and the footage is under review as part of the IID’s active investigation.
This case continues to unfold as investigators examine the actions leading up to the collision.
