Maggie Dunn, 17, and Caroline Gill, 16, died on December 31, 2022, when an Addis police officer’s vehicle struck the car carrying them during a high-speed pursuit in West Baton Rouge Parish. Maggie’s brother, Liam Dunn, survived with serious injuries. On November 5, 2026, District Judge Tonya Lurry sentenced Tyquel Zanders to 35 years in prison following his September guilty pleas arising from the pursuit.
What the November 5 Sentence Means
According to WBRZ’s sentencing report, Zanders pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, negligent injury, aggravated flight, reckless operation and aggravated obstruction of a highway. He received 35 years on each manslaughter count, along with sentences on other offenses, to run concurrently. The overall sentence is 35 years, not the sum of the individual concurrent terms.
Zanders fled law enforcement on New Year’s Eve 2022. Former Addis officer David Cauthron joined the pursuit and, while driving at high speed, struck a car occupied by Maggie Dunn, Caroline Gill and Liam Dunn near LA 1 and East St. Francis Street. The two girls died, and Liam was seriously injured. Cauthron separately pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2024 to 32 years, with 22 years suspended. Those criminal proceedings address different conduct by different people.
Why the Pursuit Decisions Matter
This was not an ordinary two-car collision between the fleeing motorist and the victims. Zanders initiated the flight, but the police vehicle struck the teenagers’ car. The key questions concern both the fleeing driver’s conduct and how officers assessed the continuation of the pursuit, speed and intersection risk.
Dispatch communications, patrol-camera recordings, the departments’ pursuit policies, vehicle and intersection evidence, and court exhibits can help establish the sequence. Because this was a 2022 crash, a review should begin with what investigators and the criminal court already preserved rather than assume original camera footage or electronic data still exists.
Criminal Sentencing and Civil Claims Are Different
Zanders’ guilty pleas and November 5 sentence are established criminal-case developments. They do not automatically decide every question concerning separate civil claims, governmental defenses, insurance coverage or allocation of fault. Any potential civil claims from a 2022 collision must also be assessed against their actual filing and litigation history. A 2026 sentencing should not be assumed to restart an earlier limitations period.
For families facing a serious or fatal collision involving multiple drivers or law-enforcement vehicles, the important early work is identifying each actor’s conduct, preserving original evidence and determining available coverage. Babcock Injury Lawyers approaches those questions with litigation in mind. See our Baton Rouge wrongful death resource and The Babcock Benefit.
For a confidential consultation regarding a separate serious crash or questions about potential claims, call (225) 500-5000 or contact the firm online. Babcock Injury Lawyers does not claim to represent anyone involved in this case.