Wife Of NJ Restaurant Owner, Who Was Killed By Stolen SUV Driver, Sues Officials

PATERSON, NJ — Law enforcement officials acted recklessly in chasing the driver of a stolen SUV who ultimately killed a pedestrian in Paterson, claims a lawsuit filed by the man's widow.

The crash in May 2022 killed local business owner Jun Ting Pan, who was crossing the road at the intersection of Market Street and Main Street. Officials initially said that the driver of a stolen Honda CRV hit a police car and another vehicle, before running into several pedestrians.

One of those injured pedestrians joined Pan's wife Haiyan Wei of Queens, New York in filing the lawsuit against city and county officials. The plaintiffs claim that this pedestrian, a Paterson woman, suffered severe and permanent injuries and "will continue to suffer great pain and torment" both mentally and physically.

Pan's family told northjersey.com that Pan was making a delivery from his nearby restaurant, New Sin Lee, and had been pushing for more answers in his death.

The lawsuit claims that members of Paterson Police and the Passaic Sheriff's Office were pursuing driver Harold Rasbin "in such a careless, reckless, and negligent manner" that he crashed into Pan and the other pedestrians.

The lawsuit also claims that city and county officials failed to properly train and supervise the officers involved in the chase.

In an initial news release after the crash, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office did not indicate that the Passaic County Sheriff's Office or Paterson Police had been pursuing Rasbin. At the time, police also told ABC7 that they were not chasing the driver.

A Paterson Police spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit on Tuesday, but added that the department has eliminated motor vehicle pursuits in most cases. The Attorney General's Office took control of PPD in March 2023.

Patch has reached out to the county sheriff and prosecutor for further comment.

The suit lists the city of Paterson, county of Passaic, the Passaic County Sheriff's Office, Paterson Police Department, and unnamed officers as defendants.

The plaintiffs demand a jury trial, and are seeking monetary damages.