Two dead after hit-and-run involving stolen Kia in Landover

BALTIMORE -- A hit-and-run crash involving a stolen Kia left a man and woman dead overnight in Landover, Prince George's County Police said. 

The driver of the theft-prone Kia ran from the fiery crash, police said. 

Officers responded around 2:40 a.m. to the area of Landover Road and Old Landover Road for the two-vehicle crash. 

Investigators believe the Kia was traveling north on Landover Road when it collided with a Toyota Camry turning left onto southbound Landover Road. 

Both of the cars caught fire, and the driver and passenger of the Toyota died on the scene, police said. 

Investigators learned the Kia had been stolen from a home in Upper Marlboro in the hours before the crash. 

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422.

Police agencies nationwide have been dealing with an uptick in Hyundai and Kia thefts after a popular social media trend showed how easy it could be.

The cars lack some of the basic auto theft prevention technology included in most other vehicles, which has led cities across the U.S., including Baltimore, to sue the manufacturers for a steep increase in car thefts. 

So far in 2023, there have been 827 Kias reported stolen in Prince George's County, police said. Police said they have arrested 176 people in the county in connection with the theft of Kias and Hyundais this year. Of those, 51 are adults and 125 are juveniles.

Police encourage drivers of Kias and Hyundais to take their cars in for security upgrades that are being offered by the manufacturers.