Bystander suffered brain injury in crash caused by Overland Park police chase: lawsuit
A man is suing the city of Overland Park claiming that he was severely and permanently injured when his vehicle was struck by a robbery suspect who fled a police pursuit last September.
Kevin Hiles, of Shawnee, said in a lawsuit filed Friday in Johnson County District Court that Overland Park police should have stopped pursuing the suspect because they should have known a high-speed pursuit presented a great danger to public safety. The lawsuit also alleges the suspect being chased had not committed serious enough crimes to justify the pursuit.
After the crash, the lawsuit says Hiles had several injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. It says he has lost wages and incurred medical and rehabilitation expenses as a result.
Meg Ralph, a spokeswoman for Overland Park, declined to comment, saying the city cannot discuss an open lawsuit.
The crash happened on Sept. 7, 2021, the lawsuit says, as police were chasing after a man wanted for stealing several purses from the Oak Park Mall. The chase started after a Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a vehicle matching the description of one that fled the scene, the lawsuit says.
Overland Park police assisted with the pursuit, the lawsuit says, traveling as fast as 120 mph. It traveled along 135th Street and over Interstate 35, the lawsuit says.
Hiles was stopped at a traffic light on the 67th Street exit ramp, the lawsuit says. The fleeing suspect, identified in court papers as Cameron Harper, allegedly lost control of the vehicle and struck several other vehicles, including Hiles’.
The lawsuit alleges Overland Park police officers violated common police standards by continuing the chase and “operated their vehicles in a manner that was reckless, unnecessary and needless.” It also claims the department violated its own policy concerning police pursuits and Kansas law.
Harper, 20, of Grandview, faces a criminal case in Johnson County District Court stemming from the crash. He is charged with six felonies and three misdemeanors, including evasion of law enforcement and criminal damage to property, court records show.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 10:08 PM.
