Women sues Will County Sheriff’s Office, deputy over Rockdale crash

A Bolingbrook woman filed a lawsuit against the Will County Sheriff’s Office and a deputy she alleges was at fault in a car crash that occurred last year in Rockdale.

On July 30, Jihan Walker, 28, filed a lawsuit that alleges sheriff’s deputy Joel Campbell struck her vehicle Aug. 3, 2020, at the intersection of Meadow Avenue and Morris Street.

Walker’s lawsuit also alleges that Campbell operated his vehicle at a speed “greater than reasonable and proper,” failed to decrease speed to avoid a collision and failed to keep a proper and sufficient lookout.

“As a proximate result of one or more of the above, Jihan Walker suffered injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature,” Walker’s lawsuit said.

Sheriff spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said the sheriff’s office does not make statements regarding pending litigation.

Last year, Illinois State Police said a preliminary investigation indicated a Ford Explorer was traveling south on Morris Street while a deputy’s squad car was heading west on Meadow Avenue.

The driver of the Explorer, “for unknown reasons,” failed to stop at the stop sign before entering the intersection and was struck by the squad car, police said.

In the aftermath of the crash, only Walker was charged with traffic citations, court records show.

On Aug. 20, Walker was charged with disobeying a stop sign, driving too fast for conditions or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and operating the vehicle in an unsafe condition.

Walker’s traffic cases remain pending and she was scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 22.

Campbell reported he was on patrol when he was traveling west on Meadow Avenue and approaching Morris Street in Rockdale, according to police reports obtained by The Herald-News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Campbell said in the reports that he saw a Ford Explorer that was traveling south on Morris Street disregard a stop sign before entering the intersection.

Morris Street has two stop signs on both sides of the intersection, while Meadow Avenue has none.

“I was unable to avoid a collision with the Ford and I struck the Ford on the driver side, specifically the driver side door,” Campbell stated.

The Ford Explorer left the roadway and rolled over several times, police reports said.

Campbell left his vehicle, contacted dispatch, requested emergency services and shortly thereafter learned Walker was pinned under the vehicle. Walker’s husband and children managed to exit the vehicle.

Several Rockdale police officers were on scene, along with a Will County Forest Preserve officer and several bystanders.

“I advised all parties that Jihan was pinned under the vehicle and that we needed to lift the vehicle while others pulled her to safety,” Campbell stated.

Those on scene were able to lift the vehicle and Jihan was extricated and taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, police reports said.

Illinois State Police were called to investigate the crash.

When asked whether state police made any determination as to who was at fault in the crash and the results of the investigation, Illinois State Police Trooper Genelle Jones told The Herald-News, “You will need to submit a FOIA request for the information you seek.”