Joliet Cop Runs Red Light, Injures Woman, Costs City $75,000

JOLIET, IL — A civil lawsuit against the city of Joliet and Joliet Police Officer Bradford "Brad" Southard has been settled for $75,000, a recent Joliet Patch Freedom of Information Act request uncovered.

Emma Tonelli, a young Joliet woman in her early 20s, was injured when the Joliet officer disregarded a red light in downtown Joliet, crashing into her car in downtown Joliet during broad daylight, according to the Will County lawsuit.

Tonelli was represented by Joliet attorney Bill Cassian of the Cassian & Carter law firm on West Jefferson Street. The crash happened around 12:15 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2019, as Tonelli was exiting the city of Joliet's Ottawa Street parking lot.

According to the lawsuit:

Officer Southard was driving a Ford Explorer owned by the city of Joliet during the course of his employment as a Joliet police officer.

As for Tonelli, then 21, she exited Joliet's parking garage at North Ottawa and Van Buren Streets, and she had the right of way, thanks to the green light at the intersection.

Southard was driving southbound on North Ottawa Street and approaching the Van Buren Street intersection "at a high rate of speed without any use of emergency lights or siren, disregarded a solid red light red for southbound traffic on North Ottawa Street ... and the vehicle he was driving struck plaintiff's vehicle with great force."

Tonelli's lawsuit stated that Southard failed to reduce speed to avoid an accident; failed to keep a proper lookout; failed to operate his police car in a safe manner; failed to avoid a collision; disregarded a red light and drove through the intersection at a high rate of speed without activating his sirens or emergency lights and without checking to see if there were any vehicles entering, about to enter, or already in the intersection."

According to the plaintiff's demand letter, "Emma was hit hard enough to knock her unconscious and herniate the discs in her temporomandibular joints as testified to by Dr. Grabavoy. He testified that her condition will be permanent, but that it can be controlled with treatment for the rest of her life. She also suffered injury to her neck, jaw and left leg."

Back in January, Tonelli's lawyer initially offered to settle the Will County negligence lawsuit with Joliet for $200,000.

"Because of the increased risk of injury due to the disc herniations in her joints, her past and future pain and suffering and medical bills, our demand to settle is $200,000.00," the demand letter stated.

A review of Will County Courthouse records indicates that Officer Southard did not receive any traffic citations in connection with his crash that happened practically across the street from the Will County State's Attorney's Office building.