Wood River, Illinois, Police
EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS - The family of an Alton couple, who died in a fiery crash after their vehicle was struck at high speeds by another car fleeing police, has filed suit against the city of Wood River, claiming the city should pay because a police officer initiated the pursuit over a registration issue and did not break off, even when it allegedly became clear the chase had become dangerous.
On July 23, the family of Donna and George Julian sued Wood River in Madison County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit was brought a little less than three weeks after the Julians, of Alton, perished in a crash with a driver fleeing police on July 3.
The lawsuit did not identify the driver whose vehicle collided with the Julians' car. However, published reports have identified that driver as Miko Martin, 29, of St. Louis. Following the crash, Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine announced his office had charged Martin with multiple felony counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, reckless homicide, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, and various gun-related charges.
According to the lawsuit, the pursuit began shortly before 11 a.m. on July 3, when a Wood River Police officer notified dispatchers that he was initiating a traffic stop on a Volvo S60 automobile, allegedly for "an equipment and/or registration violation."
The initial stop attempt occurred near the intersection of 6th Street and Edwardsville Road in Wood River.
When the officer activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle, Martin instead sped off at a high and accelerating rate of speed.
According to the lawsuit, the chase continued for about two miles, before Martin's vehicle entered the intersection of Illinois Route 143 and Illinois Route 3.
At that point, Martin's vehicle collided with an Infiniti G37 driven by the Julians. According to published reports, George "Randy" Julian was 66 years old and Donna M. Julian was 68.
According to the lawsuit, the force of the collision resulted in both vehicles going into a ravine.
The Julians' car then burst into flames, trapping both occupants inside, where they died.
In a statement following the crash and announcing charges against Martin, State's Attorney Haine said: “Running from the police is a deliberate choice that can result in irreversible loss. When someone flees law enforcement and endangers lives, they must be held fully accountable. These charges reflect the gravity of such behavior, and they should send a message that intentionally endangering the lives and safety of innocent citizens will not be tolerated on our streets.”
The lawsuit did not name Martin as a defendant.
The lawsuit pins the blame for the fatal crash on Wood River Police, asserting police knew continuing the pursuit was dangerous and yet continued the pursuit, allegedly in violation of police guidelines and best practices, and potentially in violation of a department policy either discouraging or outright prohibiting police pursuits over minor traffic violations or equipment-related problems.
The lawsuit levels two counts of wrongful death against the city of Wood River and are seeking unspecified damages of more than $50,000 each.
The Julian family is represented in the action by attorneys Lance D. Northcutt, Patrick A. Salvi II and Emily T. Art, of the firm of Salvi Schostok & Pritchard, of Chicago, and Roy C. Dripps and Michael T. Blotevogel, of Dripps & Blotevogel, of Maryville.
Wood River has not yet responded to the complaint in court.