Maryland’s Independent Investigations Division is reviewing all three incidents as police-related deaths.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — Several people have lost their lives in the past month after being struck by vehicles involved in police pursuits by Prince George’s County officers.
Within a month, three separate police chases in the county resulted in the deaths of bystanders. On February 28, Esmeralda Montoya-Perez was walking along the road when she was fatally struck by a vehicle fleeing from PGPD. On March 7, 3-year-old Zoey Harrison was killed when a suspect’s car, pursued by PGPD, lost control and crashed into four unrelated vehicles. Most recently, an adult was killed, and a child was hospitalized after a fleeing driver crashed into their car on Friday night.
Each of these incidents stemmed from traffic stops where the drivers refused to pull over, leading to police pursuits. The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division is tasked with examining all police-involved deaths and is investigating these cases.
Prince George’s County’s General Order Manual does not publicly outline specific criteria for authorized vehicle pursuits, though it classifies unauthorized chases without injuries as Category C offenses and those with injuries as Category D offenses, which can result in pay loss.
However, police emphasize that responsibility lies with the fleeing drivers.
“When police activate their lights and sirens, stop,” PGPD Chief Malik Aziz stated. “That decision is within your control.”
State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said that while the IID investigates police actions, her office will review the drivers’ roles and pursue charges, which could include vehicular manslaughter. She refrained from commenting on individual cases.
“We understand that these individuals did not intend to kill anyone,” Braveboy said. “But when you flee and drive at high speeds, the consequences are unpredictable.”
WUSA9 has reached out to the Prince George’s County Police Accountability Board for comment but has not yet received a response. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
