Bar Patron Sues Westlake and Avon After Pickup Truck Crashes into Bar

William Winter and other Dover Garden Tavern patrons were watching Thursday Night Football when a pickup truck came crashing into the bar. Winter and his attorney, Michael Hill claim that the pickup truck crashed into the bar as a result of Westlake and Avon police failing to follow their own pursuit policies when involved in a police chase according to Cleveland.com.

Hill says that his client suffered a fractured pelvis and was one of 13 people injured when Brandon Pawlak crashed a pickup truck stolen from the Sweetbriar Golf Club in Avon Lake into the bar.

Police chased Pawlak from the golf club through Avon and Westlake at high speeds for about five minutes. After police deployed "stop sticks," Pawlak lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the bar. Winter was trapped on top of the truck after the crash.

Avon police chief, Richard Bosley declined to comment saying he hadn't seen the lawsuit. Jim Climer, an attorney representing Westlake claims that Westlake officers were not involved in the chase itself and acted appropriately according to Cleveland.com.

Westlake's pursuit policy reads as follows, "if circumstances and time permit, prior approval from a supervisor shall be sought before deploying stop sticks in order to terminate a pursuit."

The suit goes on to read, "at no time were Defendants Arcuri or Fox involved in any high speed chase or circumstance that required or warranted split-second decision-making. Forethought was feasible, and there was ample opportunity for deliberation."

Internal investigations were conducted at both departments and officers were cleared of any wrongdoing.

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