A husband has filed a lawsuit against a North Carolina police department after a high-speed chase led to a crash that left his 70-year-old innocent wife with injuries so severe she is no longer able to take care of herself.
The chase saw Terry Harris fleeing from an officer in the small town of Spring Hope, northeast of Raleigh, after a cop tried to pull him over for speeding.
Harris was driving at 57 mph in a 35 mph zone at the time but things soon escalated to vastly more dangerous speeds during the March 2021 incident.
The chase went on for another 30 miles, with speeds reaching 120 mph – and only ended after Harris ran a red light and smashed into Carolyn Bonner’s car.
Carolyn, 70, was left with several serious injuries that need constant care.
Al Bonner from North Carolina is taking legal against a police department after a high-speed chase resulted in a collision leaving his wife Carolyn with debilitating injuries
Police in the small town of Spring Hope, northeast of Raleigh, went on a car chase at speeds of up to 120mph 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. Pictured, one of the damaged vehicles from the crash
She suffered extensive 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. It’s from that point to now that we have been living off 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 lengthy, high-speed chase because of a routine speeding offense [and] by failing to stop the chase when it became readily apparent that the chase was likely to endanger the lives and safety of innocent civilians,’ the lawsuit states.
Andrew DeIonno, the town manager of Spring Hope stated: ‘Officer Lucas has not faced disciplinary action during his tenure as a police officer.’
Carolyn, center, used to live an active life where she would volunteer and care for her mom
‘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 what it was,’ Al said
Carolyn, 70, suffered extensive injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage and saw her spend 88 days in hospital.
Al, who has been married to Carolyn for 31 years, has turned to his faith in order to make it through to this point.
‘When I witnessed that situation, I was overcome with sorrow. From that moment until now, we have relied on the grace and love of God,’ he said.
‘She always used to say that God is a restorer when she witnessed others facing challenging situations. So now, we repeat those words back to her.’
Before the life-changing accident, Carolyn had a job, volunteered and looked after her elderly mother.
Since the crash, Al has now taken on the responsibility of caring for his wife together with the help of home health nurses available around the clock.
‘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 what it was,’ Al said.
Despite her bleak outlook, Al hopes and prays for a miracle that her condition might gradually improve. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family deal with medical expenses.
Although the town has not responded publicly, the town’s attorney has denied any allegations of negligence and argues that Spring Hope should not be held liable for any damages.
The town asserts its protection under governmental immunity that shields police departments from liability arising from the performance of their duties.
Philip Miller, the Bonner family’s attorney, emphasized that their lawsuit challenges the concept of governmental immunity.
Carolyn now requires round-the-clock medical care from a team of nurses following the crash
Terry Harris was driving at 57 mph in a 35 mph zone but things soon escalated to vastly more dangerous speeds before he crashed into Bonner’s car
‘We fully appreciate the difficulty of the legal challenges we face,’ Miller told WRAL. ‘The governmental immunity defense is a huge hurdle. However, we also firmly 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 might deter similar high-speed police pursuits in the future.
‘Major decisions have consequences, and we are living with those consequences,’ Al said. ‘What we would hope for is a major reduction of 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 deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, felony speed to elude arrest, felony possession of marijuana with intent to sell, maintaining vehicle for distribution of a controlled substance and careless and reckless driving.