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No criminal charges for officers involved in deadly high speed Easton chase

Talbot County Police Chase
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EASTON, Md. — Four police officers have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing for their roles in a deadly high speed pursuit in Easton last year.

The tragic July 22 incident began around 7pm on U.S. Route 50 near Dutchmans Lane.

That's where Talbot County Sheriff's deputy Brittanie DiMichele observed a Nissan driving erratically, nearly hitting a UPS truck.

DiMichele tried making a traffic stop, but according to a passenger inside the Nissan at the time, the teenage driver started to “freak out a little bit,” and decided to "lose the [cruiser]."

This prompted a 10 minute, 15-mile long chase with speeds exceeding 100mph.

The getaway driver ended up losing control on Black Dog Alley, and crashing into a tree at 74mph.

RELATED: Body-cam footage shows fleeing driver crash into tree, killing one

An investigative report by the Maryland Attorney General's Office revealed "the impact of the tree caused the Nissan to rotate around the tree approximately 110-130 degrees before it came to a complete stop."

All four people inside the car were seatbelted except for the front passenger, 18-year-old Yemaya Wilson, who unfortunately died on scene.

The Attorney General concluded there was "insufficient evidence to prove that the subject officers drove their vehicles in a criminally negligent manner."

As for potential charges against the driver, the Attorney General's Office said this.

"By statute, the IID only has jurisdiction to investigate the actions of police officers, not those of any other individuals involved in the incident. Therefore, the IID’s investigation did not specifically examine any criminal culpability of the driver of the Nissan, in this incident."