WEST BATON ROUGE, LA — A man who led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a fatal crash involving two Brusly teenagers has pleaded guilty to multiple charges in West Baton Rouge Parish.
Tyquel E. Zanders, 28, of White Castle, admitted two counts of manslaughter, negligent injury, aggravated flight from an officer, reckless operation of a vehicle and aggravated obstruction of a highway.
His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 5 before District Judge Tonya Lurry in West Baton Rouge Court.
How the chase crossed from East Baton Rouge into West Baton Rouge
The crash grew out of a pursuit that started with East Baton Rouge officers and continued after Zanders crossed into West Baton Rouge Parish. Addis Police Officer David Lee Cauthron joined the chase as it moved west.
According to the case facts, Zanders ran a red light on La. Hwy. 1 north at East St. Francis Street while traveling more than 100 miles per hour. Cauthron was following at nearly 100 miles per hour when the collision happened.
The chase and crash became one of the most closely watched local cases tied to police pursuit tactics and the risks of high-speed driving on public roads.
The crash killed Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill
The impact struck a vehicle carrying Maggie Dunn, 17, Caroline Gill, 16, and Liam Dunn. Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill were both killed in the wreck.
Liam Dunn survived but suffered serious injuries. Officer Cauthron was also hurt in the crash.
The fatal collision on Dec. 31, 2022, left two families grieving and turned the case into a long-running criminal matter centered on the choices made during the pursuit.
Cauthron had already been sentenced in the same case
Officer Cauthron previously pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of negligent injury in connection with the crash. He received a 32-year sentence, with 22 years suspended.
That punishment means 10 years to serve in hard labor, followed by three years of probation. He began serving that sentence in May 2024.
The separate guilty plea by Zanders brings another major phase of the case to a close, though the final sentencing still remains ahead.
District attorney calls it the final chapter in a sad case
District Attorney Tony Clayton said the plea marked the end of a painful chapter for the families involved. He said he commended the Gill and Dunn families for pushing for changes around high-speed pursuits after the deaths.
Clayton said their efforts have focused on building guardrails so other families do not experience a similar loss. He added that he hoped the families could find some comfort in seeing that the people involved have been held to account.
The case has remained especially difficult because it involved both a police pursuit and the deaths of two teenagers, along with life-changing injuries for another victim.
What Zanders admitted before sentencing
Zanders’ plea covers both the deadly outcome and the conduct that led up to it, including manslaughter, negligent injury, reckless driving behavior and flight from an officer. The aggravated obstruction charge reflects the danger created when traffic was blocked during the chase.
Sentencing in November will determine the punishment he receives for the convictions. The court date is set in West Baton Rouge Parish, where the crash took place and where the case has been handled.
For the families, the plea means another defendant in the case has accepted responsibility in court, but the consequences of the crash remain visible in the lives of everyone it touched.
