Mom driving child killed as teens driving stolen car crash into her, MD cops say
Four teenage boys driving a stolen car ran a red light and crashed into the side of another vehicle, killing a 35-year-old mother who had a child passenger, authorities in Maryland said.
The teens are ages 15 through 17, Prince George’s County Police Acting Chief George Nader said at an Aug. 26 news conference filmed by FOX 5 DC.
The woman killed in the crash on Martin Luther King Jr. Highway in Landover on Aug. 26 has been identified as Shaunte Denise Canty, of Washington, D.C., according to an Aug. 27 news release issued by the Prince George’s County Police Department. A county official at the news conference confirmed she was a young mom.
Canty “died at the scene,” police said.
The child inside her car was seriously injured but survived, according to authorities.
Charges against the four teens are likely, as detectives are working with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office to decide what to charge them with, police said.
One of the teens in the stolen car was in police custody as of Aug. 27, police said.
The three other teens were in the hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries,” according to police.
Before the deadly collision that afternoon, officers with the Seat Pleasant Police Department spotted the stolen car driven by the teens, according to police.
It had been reported stolen on Aug. 22, authorities said.
One Seat Pleasant officer first “followed the vehicle from a distance to avoid alerting the driver while awaiting the arrival of the Prince George’s County Police Department helicopter unit,” the Seat Pleasant Police Department said in an Aug. 26 news release.
Then a police commander ordered the officer to stop the pursuit, according to the department.
After following the commander’s orders, the officer later encountered the crash scene after the stolen car struck Canty’s vehicle, authorities said.
Despite life-saving efforts, Canty was declared dead, according to police.
“Our hearts are heavy and our condolences go out to the family during this incredibly difficult time,” the Seat Pleasant Police Department said.
The four teens in the stolen car are also being investigated by Prince George’s County detectives “for unrelated crimes that may involve the stolen vehicle,” according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Prince George’s County is about a 20-mile drive southeast from Washington, D.C.
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Mom driving child killed as teens driving stolen car crash into her, MD cops say."
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