Independent Investigations Division investigating fatal police pursuit in Talbot County

BALTIMORE – The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal crash following an attempted traffic stop and pursuit that occurred in Easton on Monday evening.

The preliminary investigation reveals, a statement from Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office said, on July 22, just after 7 p.m., deputies from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, in marked police cruisers, encountered a car in the area of westbound Rt. 50 and Dutchmans Lane in Easton, where they attempted to initiate a traffic stop.

The deputies activated their emergency equipment signaling to the driver to stop. The driver of the car did not stop and continued to drive on Route 50, the statement said.

The deputies pursued the vehicle for several minutes. During the pursuit, officers from the Easton Police Department assisted the deputies.

The pursuit ended several minutes later when the passenger car crashed into a tree in the 8300 block of Black Dog Alley. The vehicle was occupied with four people.

Officers rendered aid to all occupants and EMS arrived on scene and began rendering medical aid. The driver, a juvenile male and the front seat passenger, an adult woman, were transported to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

The adult woman was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The two rear passengers, one juvenile male and an adult woman, were transported to an area hospital for treatment for serious injuries. The involved officers were equipped with body-worn cameras.

The IID, with assistance from the Maryland State Police Crash Team, is investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash. Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576-7070 or by email at IID@oag.state.md.us .

The IID will generally release the name of the decedent and involved officers within two business days of the incident, although that period may be extended, if necessary, pursuant to IID protocol.

The IID will generally release body-worn camera footage within 20 business days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 20 days are necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public, the statement said.