A 14-year-old and two 15-year-olds were among those killed when a stolen Kia SUV crashed into a tree and caught fire last month on Woodmore Road in Prince George's County, Maryland, authorities said.
At least two of the teens in the Kia did not know it had been stolen, according to a loved one.
In an update Monday, police released the names of three of the four young people who were in the SUV when it crashed Sept. 29. They were Marquay Swann, 14, of Lanham; Zyshaun Cuffey, 15, of Glenarden; and Serenity Sellman, 15, of Upper Marlboro, police said.
Dartrel Byers, 17, also was killed, his family previously told News4. Police said work is ongoing to confirm the identity of the fourth person.
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Prince George’s County officers had pursued the Kia but ended the pursuit after the driver sped off, the department said. Swann, the 14-year-old, was the driver, according to police.
“I am a grieving mom, too, and my condolences and love go out to the three other kids, too,” said Swann’s mother, Shanay Morton. “Like, we are together. I am not against nobody. I want us to all come together and mourn together and not start hatred towards each other, because at the end of the day, we all need support and love so we can get through this tragedy.”
Officers spotted expired tags
Officers saw a Kia with expired temporary tags in the area of Lottsford Road and Palmetto Drive at about 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, police said. Officers activated their emergency equipment and tried to pull over the vehicle, but the driver sped off.
Officers “briefly attempted to pursue the Kia but lost sight of the vehicle and disengaged,” police said.
After being notified that the SUV’s registration did not match the paper tag, the officers tried to find the SUV again — but before they could, the SUV’s driver tried to pass a car on the shoulder of Woodmore Road, police said. The driver lost control and crashed into a tree. The SUV was engulfed in flames.
The crash happened about four minutes after officers had ended their pursuit.
All four people inside were pronounced dead on the scene.
After the deadly crash, investigators determined the Kia had been stolen in an armed carjacking earlier that day in Greenbelt. The victim said five people approached him on Edmonston Court just before 1 a.m. and demanded the keys. One person had a long gun. The victim said he threw the keys and ran.
Greenbelt police have been unable to identify suspects in the carjacking.
‘They were babies’
Sellman and Byers were cousins and got picked up by other teens at about 7 p.m. that night, Sellman's godmother said. They got into the Kia without knowing it had been stolen, she said.
“Words cannot describe what it has done to us,” Latasha Hamilton said. “We are totally crushed. We don’t know. We’re at a loss for words, completely. I mean, they were innocent babies. They were babies. No one was grown that was in that car. No one.”
The grieving family is looking for answers.
“We’re just ready for the correct facts,” Hamilton said. “We want answers. We want to know exactly what happened to her.”
What happened will be “subject to administrative review,” police said. The department notified the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID).
“After a review of evidence, the IID determined the incident did not meet the parameters of an officer-involved fatality,” police said.
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The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
