Husband sues North Carolina PD wife disabled cannot walk talk cops chased speeding suspect at 120mph
A husband filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina Police Department after a high-speed chase led to an accident that left his innocent 70-year-old wife injured so badly she can no longer care for herself.
In the chase, which took place in March 2021, Terry Harris fled from an officer in the small town of Spring Hope, northeast of Raleigh, after the officer tried to pull him over for speeding.
At the time, Harris was driving 57 mph in the 35 mph zone, but things soon escalated to much more dangerous speeds.
The high-speed chase continued for another 30 miles, with speeds reaching 120 mph, only ending after Harris ran a red light and crashed into Carolyn Bonner’s car.
Carolyn Bonner was left with several serious injuries that need constant attention.
The husband, Al Bonner, of North Carolina, is suing a police department after a high-speed chase resulted in a collision that left his wife, Carolyn, with debilitating injuries.
Police in the small town of Spring Hope, northeast of Raleigh, began a car chase at speeds of up to 120 mph before the suspect crashed into Carolyn’s car.
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of Officer Lashawn Lucas and his superiors in continuing the high-speed pursuit. In the image, one of the vehicles damaged by the accident.
Terry Harris was driving at 57mph in the 35mph zone, but things soon escalated to much more dangerous speeds.
Carolyn, 70, suffered serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage, and saw her spend 88 days in the hospital.
More than two years later, he still has problems with speech, mobility, and responsiveness.
‘It just breaks my heart. When I saw that situation, I had no strength. It is from that moment until now that we have been living on the grace and love of God,” said Carolyn’s husband, Al Bonner.
He has now filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court against Officer Lashawn Lucas, the Spring Hope Police Department and the Town of Spring Hope.
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of Officer Lucas and his superiors in continuing the high-speed pursuit.
Officer Lucas breached his duty of care… by initiating and continuing a prolonged, high-speed pursuit for a routine speeding violation. [and] by failing to stop the pursuit when it became apparent that it was likely to endanger the lives and safety of innocent civilians,” the lawsuit states.
Andrew DeIonno, the Spring Hope City Manager stated, “Officer Lucas has not faced any disciplinary action during his tenure as a police officer.”
More than two years later, Carolyn still has problems with speech, mobility, and responsiveness as a result of the accident.
“She was extremely, extremely active, so this is a complete 180. I know she’s looking out the window and hoping and thinking her life is totally different than it was,” Al said.
Carolyn, 70, suffered serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage, and saw her spend 88 days in the hospital.
Al, who was married to Carolyn for 31 years, has turned to his faith to get to this point.
‘When I witnessed that situation, pain invaded me. From that moment until now, we have trusted in the grace and love of God.
‘She always used to say that God is a restorer when she saw others facing challenging situations. So now, we repeat those words back to you,” Al said.
Before her life-changing accident, Carolyn had a job, volunteered, and cared for her elderly mother.
Since the accident, Al has now taken responsibility for caring for his wife along with the help of 24-hour home care nurses.
Despite his wife’s bleak outlook, Al hopes and prays for a miracle so that his wife’s condition will gradually improve.
Carolyn now requires 24-hour medical attention from a team of nurses after the accident.
The family is now suing Spring Hope PD over the 30-mile chase and life-changing accident.
Carolyn, center, used to live an active life volunteering and caring for her mother.
Carolyn stayed in the ICU for 20 days in a coma. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, numerous broken bones and other injuries because
“She was extremely, extremely active, so this is a complete 180. I know she’s looking out the window and hoping and thinking her life is totally different than it was,” Al said.
Despite his bleak outlook, Al hopes and prays for a miracle as his condition gradually improves. TO GoFundMe Page It has been created to help the family deal with medical expenses.
Although the city has not responded publicly, the city attorney has denied any allegations of negligence and argues that Spring Hope should not be held responsible for any damages.
The city asserts its protection under government immunity that protects police departments from liability arising from the performance of their duties.
Philip Miller, the lawyer for the Bonner family, stressed that their lawsuit challenges the concept of government immunity.
A car is shown after the accident and firefighters removed the roof to reach the people inside.
The City affirms its protection that shields police departments from liability while they carry out their duties. Pictured: Emergency workers are seen at the scene of the accident in March 2021
“We fully appreciate the difficulty of the legal challenges we face,” Miller said. WRAL. “The defense of government immunity is a huge obstacle. However, we also strongly believe that this police chase that ended with Carolyn Bonner suffering catastrophic and life-changing injuries should never have happened in the first place.”
Al said he hopes his lawsuit can discourage similar high-speed police chases in the future.
“Big decisions have consequences, and we’re living with those consequences,” Al said. “What we would expect is a significant reduction from not having to go through what we have to go through.”
Meanwhile, Harris was carrying around $8,000 worth of marijuana in his vehicle at the time of the accident.
He was charged with multiple counts, including assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, felony speeding to evade arrest, felony possession of marijuana with intent to sell, holding vehicle for the distribution of a controlled substance, and negligent and reckless driving.
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