A Cook County woman is suing the village of Phoenix and several members of its police force, alleging they mishandled her son’s fatal car wreck and failed to investigate it properly.
Gloria Trinidad, as an individual and as special administrator of the estate of Michael Sanchez, filed a lawsuit Oct. 27 in Cook County Circuit Court against the village of Phoenix, police officer Malone, Corp. J. Personnette, officer Sherrod, detective Weathers, deputy chief Bowman, chief Johnson and Gerardo Mendez.
According to the complaint, Sanchez, 26, was injured in a car driven by Mendez on Oct. 27, 2014. The suit says Malone, a first responder, failed to follow proper procedure by dragging a seriously wounded Sanchez from the wreck. Sanchez died later that day from his injuries, which the suit alleges were exacerbated by Malone’s actions at the accident scene.
The Phoenix Police Department also failed to properly investigate her son’s death, the suit says.
Trinidad seeks a judgment of $1 million against Mendez for compensatory and punitive damages and litigation costs. She also seeks damages of $1 million against the village of Phoenix. She is represented by attorney Mary C. Fahey of Fahey & Associates in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015-L-010895.