Winnebago County to pay $3.3 million to settle fatal police crash lawsuit

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — Winnebago County officials will pay $3.3 million to the family of a Rockford woman killed in a police pursuit.

Joy Lambert, 55, was killed when a driver fleeing a sheriff’s deputy at speeds that reached 91 mph slammed into her car in February 2016.

Lambert’s family filed a wrongful death suit against the county later that year, arguing the chase wasn’t necessary because the driver had only been speeding. Months before Lambert’s death Sheriff Gary Caruana loosened restrictions on pursuits, saying the county was dealing with an epidemic of drivers fleeing traffic stops.

The Rockford Register Star reported the settlement agreement on Monday. A spokesperson for the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office said the settlement doesn’t include any admission of fault and declined to say if the family was offered an apology.

Caruana, the sheriff, has previously offered condolences to Lambert’s family and blamed the fleeing driver for her death.