City
ordered to pay $2 million in police chase
(As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times
12/14/03)
BY
ANA MENDIETA
A
Cook County jury Friday awarded $2 million to the daughter
of a woman struck and killed by a driver fleeing Chicago
police after blowing a red light.
The
City of Chicago was ordered to pay $2 million to Elizabeth
Santillana for the wrongful death of her mother, Dalia Santillana,
who was killed when the vehicle driven by Jesus Gomez crossed
the center divider, spun out of control and slammed into
her car at 31st and Kedzie on July 18, 2000.
Gomez
was fleeing police after he ran a red light at 26th near
Trumbull, driving past a squad car stopped at the light,
police said at the time.
The
squad started to chase Gomez's Chevy Caprice, sirens blaring,
and as Gomez accelerated, he slammed into a truck at 31st
and Lawndale.
The
officers stopped at the scene to record the accident, but
Gomez threw his car into reverse and fled again, according
to police. Officers radioed that Gomez was on the run again,
and officers in an unmarked car going west on 31st saw Gomez's
car drive past them, cross the divider and slam into Santillana's
car, police said.
But
witnesses testified at trial that police continued the pursuit
eastbound on 31st Street until Gomez struck Santillana's
car, said Timothy J. Cavanagh, the attorney for Santillana's
family.
Santillana,
who was 51, was returning from work when she was killed.
"Gomez
left 31st and Lawndale after a minor collision with the
truck, and police chased him. If police had stopped at 31st
and Lawndale, we believe this would have never happened,''
Cavanagh said.
Tests
later showed Gomez had cocaine, PCP and marijuana in his
system. He was convicted of reckless homicide and is in
prison.
Jennifer
Hoyle, spokeswoman for the city's Law Department, said the
city was "disappointed" with the verdict.
"We
think the blame for the crash lies solely with the driver
of the car who hit her. He was speeding, fleeing from police,
he had just hit another vehicle shortly before that crash
and he was on cocaine, PCP and marijuana,'' Hoyle said.
The
city will be filing post-trial motions, and if these are
not successful, it will be filing an appeal to the verdict,
Hoyle said.
