A husband filed a lawsuit against a North Carolina police department after a high-speed chase led to an accident that left his 70-year-old innocent wife with injuries so severe she could no longer care for herself.
During 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 traveling at 57 mph in a 35 mph zone, but things soon escalated to much more dangerous speeds.
The high-speed chase continued for another 30 miles, at speeds of up to 125 mph — ending only after Harris ran a red light and crashed into Carolyn Bonner’s car.
Carolyn Bonner was left with several serious injuries that required constant care.
North Carolina husband, Al Bonner, is suing a police department after a high-speed chase resulted in a hit-and-run that left his wife, Carolyn, with debilitating injuries
Police in the small town of Spring Hope, northeast of Raleigh, gave chase at speeds of up to 125 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 chase. Pictured is one of the damaged vehicles from the crash
Terry Harris was driving at 57 mph in a 35 mph zone, but things soon escalated to much more dangerous speeds
Carolyn, 70, suffered serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage, and saw her spend 88 days in hospital.
More than two years later, she still struggles with speech, mobility, and responsiveness.
“It just breaks my heart. When I saw that situation, I had no strength. From then until now, we have lived by 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 City of Spring Hope.
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of Officer Lucas and his superiors in continuing the high-speed chase.
“Officer Lucas breached his duty of care… by initiating and continuing a long high-speed chase over a routine speeding violation [and] by not stopping the pursuit when it became clear that the pursuit would likely endanger the lives and safety of innocent civilians,” the lawsuit states.
Andrew DeIonno, Spring Hope’s city manager, stated, “Officer Lucas took no disciplinary action during his tenure as a police officer.”
More than two years later, Carolyn still struggles with speech, mobility, and responsiveness as a result of the crash
“She was extremely, extremely active, so this is a complete 180. I know she looks out the window and hopes and thinks her life is totally different than it was,” Al said.
Carolyn, 70, suffered serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage, and saw her spend 88 days in hospital.
Al, who was married to Carolyn for 31 years, turned to his faith to get to this point.
“When I witnessed that situation, I was overcome with grief. From then until now we have trusted in the grace and love of God.
“She used to say that God is a restorer when she saw how others faced difficult situations. So now we repeat those words to her,” Al said.
Before the life-changing accident, Carolyn had a job, volunteered and cared for her elderly mother.
Since the crash, Al has now taken on the responsibility of looking after his wife, along with the help of 24-hour home nurses.
Despite his wife’s bleak outlook, Al hopes and prays for a miracle that will gradually improve his wife’s condition.
Carolyn now needs 24-hour medical care from a team of nurses after the crash
The family is now suing Spring Hope PD over the 30 mile chase and the life changing accident
Carolyn, center, led an active life volunteering and caring for her mother
Carolyn was in a coma in the ICU for 20 days. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, numerous broken bones and other injuries in the process
“She was extremely, extremely active, so this is a complete 180. I know she looks out the window and hopes and thinks her life is totally different than it was,” Al said.
Despite her gloomy outlook, Al hopes and prays for a miracle that will gradually improve her condition. a GoFundMe page was established to help the family deal with medical expenses.
While the city has not publicly commented, the city’s attorney has denied all allegations of negligence, stating that Spring Hope cannot be held liable for any damages.
The city is protected by government immunity which protects police forces from liability arising from the performance of their duties.
Philip Miller, the Bonner family’s attorney, stressed that their lawsuit challenges the government’s concept of immunity.
The photo shows a car after the accident, the roof of which was removed by the fire brigade to gain access to the people
The city claims its protection that protects police departments from liability while performing their duties. Pictured: Emergency workers can be seen at the scene of the crash in March 2021
“We fully appreciate the difficulty of the legal challenges we face,” Miller said WRAL. “The government’s immunity defense is a huge hurdle. However, we also firmly believe that this police pursuit, which ended with catastrophic and life-altering injuries to Carolyn Bonner, should never have happened in the first place.”
Al said he hopes his lawsuit can deter similar high-speed police chases in the future.
“Important decisions have consequences, and we live with those consequences,” Al said. “What we’re hoping for is a big reduction in not having to go through what we have to go through.”
Harris, meanwhile, was carrying about $8,000 worth of marijuana in his vehicle at the time of the crash.
He was charged with multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury, felony speed to evade arrest, felony possession of marijuana with intent to sell, maintaining a vehicle for distribution of a controlled substance, and careless and reckless driving.