Tyquel Zanders receives 35 years for chase that killed two Brusly teens

Tyquel Zanders receives 35 years in prison for high-speed chase that killed two Brusly teens

The driver who triggered a high-speed pursuit across parish lines that ended in a catastrophic crash and the deaths of two Brusly teenagers will spend 35 years behind bars. Tyquel Zanders, 28, learned his sentence on Thursday, Nov. 5, following a legal process that stretched across several years after the 2022 tragedy, wafb.com reported.

Zanders previously entered guilty pleas to two counts of manslaughter, negligent injury, reckless operation of a vehicle, aggravated flight from an officer, and aggravated obstruction of a highway. Court records and investigators mapped out how the incident began in 2022 when Zanders fled from East Baton Rouge deputies, crossing the parish boundary into West Baton Rouge. David Cauthron, then an Addis police officer, joined the pursuit as it intensified.

A chase across parish lines ends in tragedy

The fleeing vehicle tore through a red light at La. Hwy. 1 north and East St. Francis, traveling at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Cauthron followed directly behind at a similar velocity.

Man who led police on high-speed chase that killed 2 Brusly teens receives sentence

Moments later, Cauthron’s cruiser smashed into a vehicle carrying three teenagers. The impact killed 17-year-old Maggie Dunn and 16-year-old Caroline Gill. Maggie’s brother, Liam Dunn, survived the crash with serious injuries, and Cauthron sustained injuries as well. The Addis Police Department placed Cauthron on leave immediately following the crash, and he resigned roughly a month later.

Legal fallout for the former officer followed in 2024. Cauthron pled guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of negligent injury, receiving a 32-year sentence with 22 years suspended.

Tyquel Zanders sentenced to 35 years for deadly 2022 police chase that killed two teens

“This is such a sad case,” District Attorney Tony Clayton said, according to wafb.com. “While those who caused that horrible crash have had to account for their actions, these families continue to carry a heavy burden from the bad decisions that led to the loss of two beautiful teens.”

Clayton also acknowledged the ongoing advocacy of the victims’ relatives. “I commend the Gill and Dunn families, who have been relentless since the wreck, working to put guardrails around these high-speed pursuits in hopes that this will not happen to other families,” Clayton said.