Family of truck driver killed in Lakewood, WA police chase seeks $26M
Family of crash victim files $26 million claim against Lakewood Police over deadly chase
The family of 57-year-old Bogdan Petrov, killed in a 2023 semi-truck crash, has filed a $26 million tort claim alleging Lakewood police caused his death through an illegal pursuit.
LAKEWOOD, Wash. - The family of a semi-truck driver killed by a fleeing robbery suspect during a 2023 police chase in Lakewood has filed a wrongful death claim against the city.
According to the claim, attorneys Mark Lindquist and Angus Lee allege that the high-speed pursuit initiated by Lakewood officers violated state law and police department policies. The victim, 57-year-old Bohdan Vetrov, was a husband and a father of seven children. He and his family legally immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine in 2017, and he was the sole provider for the family.
Teens accused of killing semi-truck driver while eluding police in stolen car
This story aired in June 2023.
The backstory:
On June 29, 2023, at around 12:45 a.m., officers responded to a robbery at a 7-Eleven in Tacoma. Multiple masked suspects robbed the clerk at gunpoint and fled in a stolen Kia. After spotting the vehicle hours later, Lakewood police attempted to stop the driver. The suspect ran a red light and crashed into Vetrov's semi on the Berkeley Street overpass.
The semi-truck jackknifed on the I-5 ramp, and Vetrov was ejected from the cab, landing on I-5 below. He was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.
Allegations in the claim
The claim, filed on Tuesday, alleges that the police chase that led to Vetrov's death was initiated without the required risk assessment, approval, supervision or justification.
"If police follow the rules and use common sense, they can catch the bad guys without endangering the public," said attorney Lindquist, the former elected prosecutor of Pierce County.
Dig deeper:
According to police reports, after being informed of the robbery, Officer Craner believed he was "100% confident" in identifying the teenage robbery suspect and knowing his address. The tort claim alleges that Craner did not attempt to coordinate a safe and lawful apprehension of the suspect. Instead, Craner and another officer positioned their cars near the suspect's home. When they saw the suspect driving, they began trailing the vehicle, despite the suspect driving safely and obeying traffic laws.
The claim suggests that a safer alternative would have been to allow the driver to pull into his driveway and block the car. However, Craner activated his overhead lights, prompting the driver to speed away.
"Officer Craner was not certified in any pursuit intervention option, which was a mandatory precondition to engaging in a vehicular pursuit under both Lakewood Police Department Policy 17.2.2 and RCW 10.116.060," Lindquist wrote in the claim.
Failure to communicate and develop a plan
The tort claim also alleges that the officers involved in the pursuit did not communicate with a supervisor, did not develop any plan to end the chase, and had no basis to conclude that the risk of failing to apprehend the suspect outweighed the dangers of continuing the pursuit. Despite this, the officers chased the suspect at high speeds.
As the pursuit entered the intersection of Freedom Way and I-5, Officer Craner reportedly saw a red traffic signal and observed a semi-truck lawfully crossing the intersection from left to right in front of them. Nevertheless, he continued the chase.
Video footage from Craner's patrol car shows the truck entering the intersection as the suspect's car ran the light and crashed into Vetrov's semi-truck.
Aftermath of the crash
Both teens in the stolen vehicle survived the crash, but Vetrov died from his injuries. His family has struggled both financially and emotionally without him.
Legal claim and potential lawsuit
What's next:
Filing a legal claim is a required step before pursuing a lawsuit against a government entity in Washington state. According to the claim, the Vetrov family is seeking $26 million in damages. After 60 days, they may follow up the claim with a lawsuit.
What they're saying:
FOX 13 Seattle received the following statement from Lakewood Police Department PIO Sgt. Charles Porche:
"The city will not be providing comment regarding potential litigation issues."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a press release issued by the law offices of Mark Lindquist and Angus Lee.
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