Independence cop accused of causing crash said he was looking up license plate
Four family members injured in a 2023 collision with an Independence police officer are suing over the crash, saying the officer drove through a red light as he slammed into their vehicle.
In audio from the officer’s patrol vehicle reviewed by The Star, the officer can be heard saying he did not have a green light at the intersection and that he was looking up a license plate when the crash happened.
It’s unclear if the officer faced discipline for the incident. Court records do not show that the officer was cited for the crash.
The lawsuit, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on Aug. 21, names Officer Paul Campbell and the city of Independence as defendants. The suit is being brought by Aquailla Hardiman, the driver of the vehicle, Jada Hardiman and Rashanda Hardiman, all of Kansas City, and Marsaytes Hardiman, of Independence.
The lawsuit said the Hardimans suffered severe injuries, including to their necks, backs and legs, and that one occupant had a concussion. The Hardimans are seeking damages over the collision, alleging that Campbell drove through a red light and that his negligence caused the crash.
Asked about the lawsuit, department policies for device usage while driving and whether Campbell was cited or disciplined for the crash, Independence city spokeswoman Rebecca Gannon provided The Star with a statement.
“Our officers are on the roads daily, both in responding to calls and general patrol,” Gannon wrote. “It is imperative to citizens, travelers, and officers that we all get safely to our destinations. We prioritize safe travel with annual training, reminders to officers, and support of safe streets through general patrol. We ask all citizens to work with Independence to slow down, be attentive, and drive carefully.”
An attorney representing the Hardimans did not respond to a request for comment.
Crash on 39th Street
The collision happened around 3:30 p.m. on April 6, 2023, at the intersection of East 39th Street and South Crysler Avenue. According to the lawsuit and an account given by Aquaila Hardiman and recorded in a police report, she stopped at the intersection heading west on 39th and waited for a green arrow to make a left turn onto Crysler as Campbell approached the intersection heading east on 39th.
Hardiman said she began to turn when the collision occurred. A diagram included in the police report showed the police vehicle struck the rear passenger side of the vehicle the Hardimans were in.
Campbell was not injured. Those in the other vehicle were taken to Centerpoint Medical Center.
The claim that the officer caused the crash is backed up by Campbell’s own account of the collision to another law enforcement officer while both were at the scene. His recounting, in which Campbell can be heard saying he did not have a green light and was looking up a license plate, is recorded in a video from Campbell’s patrol vehicle that was provided to The Star by the Independence Police Department in response to a Sunshine request.
A crash report filled out by fellow Independence officer Brett Schmidli does not include Campbell’s account that he did not have a green light, nor do court records show any citations against Campbell for the wreck.
“He stated the traffic signal was green, but then looked down at his in car computer to run a plate on a nearby vehicle,” Schmidli wrote in his report. “He stated he entered the intersection at around 10-15 mph and the collision occurred. He stated by the time he exited the vehicle his light was now red.”
In a section of the report where a reporting officer can list contributing circumstances, such as distractions, Schmidli marked “none.”
The other officer wrote that he observed the light cycles at the intersection and speculated that Aquailla Hardiman “may have failed to yield for a flashing yellow arrow,” but acknowledged her account and said he was including it in his report.
“Did you have the green?”
In response to a request for video of the crash from Campbell’s patrol vehicle, The Star was told by Independence Police Department’s records staff that video from the incident does not start until after the crash.
Dashboard camera video provided to The Star begins as Campbell walks across the frame toward the other vehicle moments after the collision. First responders arrive and begin to attend to the Hardimans, and a few minutes later, Campbell can be heard recounting the events of the crash to another law enforcement officer.
“Did you have the green?” the other officer asks.
“No,” Campbell says. “I thought I did, but when I was rolling through, I was running the plates in the turn lane to go north, the Hyundai—”
The other person cuts in: “—So you were going to go through eastbound?”
“Yeah,” Campbell says. “And I look up—”
The other person cuts in again: “Is it on your camera?”
“Oh, yeah, probably,” Campbell says.
“All right, let me get in there and look at it real quick,” the other person says.
The recording provided to The Star ends a few seconds later.
Before the conversation with the other officer, Campbell can be heard telling a paramedic he was OK.
“I was going through the intersection, they were turning,” he says before making a comment about a red light that is unclear in the recording.
“Were you running code (with police lights and sirens)?” the paramedic asks.
“No,” he responds, telling her his vehicle was “barely moving.”
