Chicago City Council OKs $32M settlement to man who lost legs in police chase

CHICAGO - The Chicago City Council approved a $32 million settlement for a man who lost his legs due to a crash after a police chase on Michigan Avenue in May of 2022.

The council voted for the settlement payment at its meeting on Wednesday.

The backstory:

On May 12, 2022, Chicago police tried to stop a white Mercedes in the 600 block of North Michigan Avenue in River North a little before 9 p.m. because it had a dark covering over its license plate, according to a lawsuit related to the settlement.

The Mercedes fled from police, went through a red light, and hit another car. Police in a squad car pursued the fleeing Mercedes.

Around that time, Bryan Summary and his wife Amy were walking to dinner on North Michigan Avenue with their two sons when he saw a car coming toward them. They were visiting Chicago from St. Louis.

After pushing his wife out of the way, Bryan Summary was hit by the car and was pinned beneath it, according to the lawsuit filed by the couple.

Officers and nearby healthcare workers who saw the crash went to render aid to Summary. He underwent six surgeries at Northwestern Memorial Hospital but ultimately had both of his legs amputated.

In the lawsuit, the Summarys argued that the police officers chased the suspect Mercedes for a "non-hazardous" traffic offense on Michigan Avenue. 

They argued the officers should not have pursued the suspect car considering the heavy traffic and many pedestrians in the area at the time.