Four years after suffering a devastating loss, the family of a 10-year-old Chicago girl killed during a police chase on the city’s streets is finally getting some semblance of justice.
A jury in Cook County awarded the family of Da’Karia Spicer $79.8 million as a result of a wrongful death suit they filed, according to the Associated Press.
The tragic accident took place around 12:30 in the afternoon in September of 2020 when the car Spicer was traveling in along with her father and younger brother was hit by a Mercedes driving at approximately 90 miles per hour while being chased by the police. The AP reports that Chicago Police went after the Mercedes because the driver was using an alley as a through street.
The driver refused to stop at the police request, which led to the chase. While trying to avoid the police, the Mercedes crashed into a two cars, one of which was being driven by Da’Karia’s father.
The Chicago Police Department accepted responsibility for their role in Da’Karia’s death at the time and in a statement called it a “devastating loss of life.”
Da’Karia and her family were on their way to her elementary school to pick up a laptop she could use for remote learning lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The impact of this incident was catastrophic, and the Spicer family lost a bright, talented and smart 10-year-old girl who was the absolute light of their lives,” attorney Patrick Salvi II said in a statement.
Cases like this have been costly for the city in recent years. According to WTTW News, Chicago’s taxpayers have spent over $70 million between January 2019 and August 2024 to settle lawsuits filed by city residents who were injured as a result of police chases.