A year after a fiery crash in Joliet, Illinois, killed a motorist and injured his passenger, the victim’s family filed negligence lawsuits against the Crest Hill authorities. The crash, which resulted from an indiscriminate police chase with total disregard for commuters safety, led to a suit filed on Wednesday, May 27.
The lawsuit alleges that the officer implicated in the pursuit, along with the Crest Hill Police Department, caused the wrongful death of 60-year-old Suos Khloth of Joliet. His passenger survived the wreckage with a broken collar bone.
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Court documents show that on May 26, 2019, a gray Mitsubishi sports utility vehicle fleeing police on Jefferson Street struck a 2001 Jaguar XJ8 Khloth was driving. The officer was operating a marked Crest Hill Squad car when he spotted the Mitsubishi crossing an intersection on a red light. He immediately followed in pursuit of the motorist, Anthony Casterberry.
Officer John McHale of the Crest Hill Police Department pursued the suspect through the city at speeds above 91 mph. McHale failed to stop as the chase continued into residential and commercial neighborhoods with speed limits of 35 and 40 mph.
The suit, filed by attorney Nicolette Ward of Romanucci & Blandin representing Khloth’s wife and three children, alleges wrongful death of Khloth, due to the officer’s negligence.
The lawman failed to stop at any point during the 4 minutes and 37 seconds chase, notwithstanding that it was raining, and the streets were wet, thereby violating Crest Hill Police Department’s policies.
Ward alleged that the officer was in violation due to factors including high speeds of pursuit; lack of probable cause indicating the driver committed a crime; violation of several traffic control devices by the pursued driver; the presence of other traffic on the pursuit route; the length and duration of the pursuit time.
The negligence lawsuit seeks general recompense for damages worth $50,000, and other fees accrued during the proceedings.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.