The Attorney General's Office concluded that the deputies' conduct during the Aug. 25 pursuit did not violate Maryland criminal law. The investigation opened the day of the crash and was completed Nov. 4, with Brown's charging decision made public Nov. 10.

The chain of events began on eastbound Maryland Route 5 near Lakewood Place in St. Charles, where deputies attempted a traffic stop at the request of Arlington County, Virginia, police. Authorities believed a person wanted on more than 20 warrants was inside a Toyota sedan.

According to investigators, the driver initially pulled over. But a front-seat passenger then climbed into the driver's seat and sped away, leaving another passenger, Alexis Cummings, 33, of Temple Hills, still in the car.

Police identified the new driver as Miya Stringfield, 34, who was wanted on more than 20 warrants across Maryland and Virginia.

Deputies chased the vehicle for roughly five miles over about four minutes, investigators said. The Toyota eventually traveled the wrong way on U.S. 301 and collided head-on with another vehicle in Brandywine.

Cummings died at a hospital. Stringfield and the driver of the other vehicle were treated for injuries and released. No officers were injured.

The case is the latest in a series of fatal crashes tied to police pursuits in the region to draw scrutiny over when and how officers should chase fleeing vehicles, particularly when passengers who are not suspected of wrongdoing remain inside. Under Maryland law, the Attorney General's Office reviews deaths involving police encounters, but prosecutors must find evidence of criminal conduct—not merely questionable tactics—to bring charges.

Brown's decision means no criminal case will proceed against the deputies. The Attorney General's Office did not elaborate beyond its finding that the deputies' actions did not constitute a crime under state law.