UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - A man who fled from police and caused a multi-car crash that killed a 3-year-old girl in Prince George’s County was sentenced Friday to spend nine years behind bars.
What we know:
Larry Naylor was also ordered to serve five years of probation after his release. He pleaded guilty to one count of grossly negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle and faced a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The sentencing stems from a fatal police pursuit on March 7, 2025, in Capitol Heights. Officers initiated the chase after Naylor was seen driving on an expired tag. Police dashboard and body-cam video captured Naylor striking four vehicles as he attempted to flee. One of the vehicles was carrying 3-year-old Zoey Harrison.
READ MORE | Body-worn camera footage released from police-involved crash that killed 3-year-old Maryland girl
Zoey, the youngest of three siblings, was killed in the crash. Naylor fled the scene on foot following the crash but was quickly caught and arrested by police.
The incident led to local legislative changes earlier this year with the adoption of "Zoey's Law" in Prince George’s County. The law restricts certain types of police chases and mandates annual reporting of police pursuit data.
Family reacts to sentencing
The court proceedings marked a deeply emotional day for the Harrison family, who spoke after hearing about their grief, faith and efforts to honor Zoey's memory.
"My emotions, you know, I lost my daughter, so of course I feel some kind of way about the dude that took her from me, and I can't do nothing about it," said Allen Harrison, Zoey's father. "It's a little relief to know that he's going to be sitting down for a minute, but it doesn’t take away nothing."
Remembering his daughter's vibrant spirit, Harrison added, "Zoey... the life of the party, the life of everybody. If you sad, she's gonna make you happy. I swear, I don't care what you got going on."
READ MORE | Lawsuit filed by family of 3 year old Maryland girl killed in police involved crash
Zoey’s grandmother, Gina Pryor, spoke about finding peace through her faith.
"I truly meant what I said about forgiving him, because forgiveness is important," Pryor said. "I forgive him for me and my family. Not for him, but for me, because of who I am in Christ Jesus."
To process the loss and keep her daughter's memory alive, Zoey’s mother, Tanishia Harrison, has written two children's books inspired by her daughter.
"It's basically dreams of things that I wish, you know, Zoey would have dreamed if she was here," Tanishia Harrison explained. "It's a magical land. She wakes up and dreams about different situations and scenarios and then she goes through life learning those things, and then I have questions that you can read with your little reader and get active with them. So it's a new journey for me just to keep Zoey's memory alive."
The Source: Information in this article is from Prince George's County Court.