Total Injury

The town of Pembroke has reached a $200,000 North Carolina car accident settlement with the family of an 18-year-old man who was killed in a wreck following a high speed chase some five years ago. The family of Christopher Harris had filed a personal injury lawsuit against the town of Pembroke after their son was killed in what they described as a reckless police pursuit following a minor fender bender in December 2001.

According to a story in The Robesonian Online, Christopher Harris was riding in a 1996 Mazda 626 with Gabriel McMillan, who also died in the wreck, and two other passengers, Andre Cummings and Ricky Locklear. The family’s North Carolina personal injury attorney, Mike Rowland, said that the high-speed pursuit began shortly after the car nudged a PT Cruiser in a car wash parking lot. The Harris family said that the boys agreed to pay for the damages to the other car, which allegedly amounted to about $25 worth of paint damage.

At that moment, a patrol car driven by Chad Locklear entered the lot and told everyone to leave. One of the passengers in the PT Cruiser then told Chad Locklear and fellow police officer Dewayne Hunt what happened, and the officers jumped in their car. After catching up to the Mazda, the officers flashed their blue lights and sirens, and a 16-mile chase ensued with speeds reaching more than 100 mph. According to NC personal injury attorney Rowland, the officers identified the Mazda’s license plate and one of the passengers within the first two minutes of the chase and yet recklessly proceeded. The Mazda eventually lost control on a sharp curve and wrecked, leading to the deaths of Harris and McMillan.

According to the story, the Highway Patrol never identified the driver of the vehicle. The Harris family believes Cummings was driving and did not want to stop because of warrants issued on him. Cummings said McMillan was the driver, while passenger Ricky Locklear added that he wanted to stop because he was no probation.

Regardless of this debate, the Harris family alleged in their North Carolina wrongful death lawsuit that the officers had no business chasing the Mazda for a fender bender. According to the Pembroke police chase policy, officers are allowed a three-mile pursuit following a misdemeanor. While the officers were cleared of any wrongdoing by the Highway Patrol, they were later suspended by former police Chief Travis Bryant for violating the three-mile rule and not using their best judgment when it was a clear misdemeanor.

With this in mind, the town of Pembroke and the Harris family reached this recent $200,000 North Carolina car accident settlement out-of-court. The family of McMillan, the other deceased passenger, reached a $75,000 Pembroke car accident settlement last year.