'He Made A Bad Decision' Mother of Teen Who Died Fleeing Police In Stolen Car Speaks About Crash
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (WJZ) -- The mother of 18-year-old Taiwan Linton spoke Tuesday about the death of her son, who was riding in a stolen car that slammed into a tree while fleeing Baltimore County police.
"I don't blame the police. I don't. I don't blame anybody. He didn't think about how many people it could hurt. It was just something that he did on a whim," said Lauren Linton. "He made a bad decision, and it was a costly one."
Police said they pulled over the 2014 Honda Accord with Linton and three juveniles inside near Highfalcon and Reisterstown Roads just before 4pm Monday. The juvenile driving the car took off. Police say Linton's son was in the back seat.
Police initially pursued the car but quickly called it off.
"The pursuit was very short," said Cpl. Shawn Vinson.
Vinson said the initial investigation shows the officer followed appropriate policies. "Within a matter of one minute this pursuit was canceled," Vinson said.
The crash scene is seven tenths of a mile from where the pursuit began.
"I really don't know that I'm ready or what help I would be for the other families," Linton's mother said of the three teens who survived. "They loved my son. Those are my son's friends. They did not mean him any harm. They probably thought they were just going to have some fun and it would be overwith, but it didn't work out that way. It went too far."
Through tears, she remembered her son's life. "He would give you the shirt off his back if he could. My son was not a monster. My son was a beautiful person. You could not ask for someone more beautiful. He made a mistake. All of those boys made mistakes."
This is the second high-profile tragedy involving juveniles and stolen vehicles in Baltimore County this year. In May, police say a 16-year-old ran over and killed Officer Amy Caprio when she tried to stop his stolen Jeep.
https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/05/24/whos-to-blame-for-an-alleged-cop-killer-being-back-on-the-streets/
In the Reisterstown case, police say they plan to charge the surviving teens with car theft as juveniles when they are released from the hospital.
Teen Dead After Stolen Car Crashes In Owings Mills, 3 Others Injured
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