A high-speed chase spanning multiple counties ended in a tragic crash on Tuesday in Southeast Washington, D.C., leaving two dead and a third person hospitalized. Anne Arundel County police began the pursuit after spotting a vehicle suspected in a series of "bank juggings," a term used for robberies targeting individuals near banks, according to FOX Baltimore.
Running from the law on westbound U.S. Route 50, a white BMW involved in the chase ultimately met its destructive end on the 4100 block of Southern Avenue Southeast. The Metropolitan Police Department reported that the car crashed into a tree, igniting a blaze that killed two of the occupants. With assistance from the U.S. Park Police aerial unit, the chase transitioned across jurisdictions before concluding in the deadly incident. While a third occupant was rescued and is under police custody in a hospital, "Our hearts go out to all of the people who have fallen victim to these suspects who choose to victimize innocent people and their lives", Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad stated, as per FOX Baltimore.
After hitting either a pole or a tree and subsequently catching on fire, horrified witnesses recounted the aftermath. One resident, speaking with FOX Baltimore anonymously, described seeing a man thrown from the vehicle and another trapped underneath as the car erupted in flames.
Authorities confirmed that these suspects were linked to other recent armed robberies in the region, including multiple incidents in Prince George's County. They crested a hill at high speed before the crash occurred, Chief Jessica Taylor from the U.S. Park Police stated, as per CBS News Baltimore. A gun, believed to have been thrown from the suspect's vehicle during the chase, was recovered at the scene.
The ripple effects of the chase and subsequent crash also brought shock to local residents, with one nearby witness stating, as per FOX Baltimore, "All of a sudden you heard the huge boom. It was right here. You just looked, and all of the smoke was just up and completely filled the entire community".
