Months after a man identified as Suos Khloth died after getting hit by a vehicle during a police chase in Joliet, Illinois, the victim’s relatives are suing the parties allegedly responsible. On Thursday, May 28, they filed a lawsuit against the Crest Hill Police Department and Officer McHale, alleging the wrongful death of the 60-year-old man due to negligence.

According to the court papers, the victim and a single passenger in his vehicle suffered major injuries on May 26, 2019, which eventually claimed Khloth’s life. The passenger, Ratanak Kong, sustained a broken collar bone.

The negligence lawsuit accuses the defendants of being responsible for the crash, which led to the damages. The suit states that a year ago, Crest Hill Police Officer John McHale was chasing a traffic offender operating a Mitsubishi near Redwood Drive at about 1:11 a.m. The fleeing vehicle then collided with a 2001 Jaguar XJ8 driven by Khloth. That caused the jaguar to spiral out of control and strike a tree.

The suit, filed by attorney Nicolette Ward of Romanucci & Blandin, alleges negligence, saying the officer violated the police department’s policies. The plaintiffs believe that had officer McHale chosen not to conduct a high-speed chase amid the rain and wet streets through the residential neighborhood, the death and injuries would never have resulted.

Ward said the officer did not attempt to terminate the pursuit at any point, despite exceeding speeds of 90 mph on streets with speed limits of 35 mph. He rather chose to continue, endangering innocent third parties, including Khloth and his passenger. The suit listed 13 factors proving officer McHale’s disregard for innocent lives.

The negligence lawsuit demands damages of more than $50,000, plus attorneys’ fees and other additional charges incurred in the suit.

Disclaimer: The Accident News 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. Accident News’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.

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