Family sues city, NYPD officers over deadly 2024 Bushwick crash
Authorities say the incident occurred after police began chasing Robert Matthews over a stop sign violation in Bushwick.
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The daughter of a victim in a fatal 2024 hit-and-run is suing New York City and four NYPD officers over the pursuit leading to the crash.
Authorities say the incident occurred after police began chasing Robert Matthews over a stop sign violation in Bushwick.
Matthews continued to speed dangerously down the street, ran another stop sign, struck a parked van, then hit a mother and daughter in a crosswalk.
Jessica Vidal, 44, suffered critical injuries, while 71-year-old Juanita Vidal died.
Matthews was charged with 18 offenses, including manslaughter and unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle. He was later sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.
The lawsuit launched by Jessica claims the officer’s decision to engage in the high-speed chase “created significant and foreseeable risk of harm.”
It argues that police pursuits are notoriously deadly, citing numerous reported examples of fatalities and a comprehensive investigation published by the Times Union in 2024.
The suit also alleges that the officers did not activate their sirens at any point of the chase.
