CHICAGO — The family of an elderly woman who was killed in a crash over Memorial Day weekend is filing a lawsuit.
The lawsuit names the city of Chicago and two police officers, and claims the death of 84-year-old Verona Gunn was completely avoidable.
Relatives gathered at Heritage International Church Tuesday morning to talk about their suit, which includes considerable video evidence. Multiple surveillance cameras captured the deadly collision at Division and Laramie as police were responding to a call for assistance.
A speeding police van ran a red light and collided with an unmarked cruiser — before both vehicles slammed into a blue Toyota, killing Gunn.
She was a retired school teacher and the matriarch of a large family. Her son is the senior pastor of Heritage International Church, and he wants the tragedy to bring changes in police training.
The crash also injured 10 officers and three other people. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is still investigating the crash.
But according to the lawsuit, police violated department policy by failing to slow down at the intersection, especially since it wasn’t an active pursuit.
Gunn is survived by three adult children and nearly two dozen grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.
The city has not yet responded to the family’s lawsuit.