Illinois sheriff's office contradicts previous statement in wrongful death suit

By Jim Greene

Published on March 31, 2006

The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office said Deputy Joseph Boomer was responding to a call about a brick thrown through the window of a moving car when he collided with a car driven by Kori Bachman. She was seriously injured and her brothers Aaron, 21, and DJ, 15, were killed in the January 14 crash.

Immediately after the accident, county officials said Boomer was responding to a non-emergency call, a critical issue in the family's lawsuit. Both sides agree that Boomer was not operating emergency lights or a siren, but the county said it was not important, contending that he was not exceeding the speed limit until he accelerated in an attempt to avoid the crash with the Bachman vehicle.

The lawsuit said Boomer was speeding before he saw the victims' car, and was responsible for the crash.

The county said statutes exist which relieve public employees of responsibility for damage caused when they are responding to an emergency. Plaintiffs' attorneys countered that county officials changed their story only to invoke those statutes and that their original version of the incident was accurate. They also claimed Boomer was aware that city police officers had already responded to the incident.

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