Update: Mother of teen who died in Joliet crash during pursuit plans to sue police

Attorneys for the mother of a teen who died in a crash stemming from a police chase last year were given the green light by a judge to file a lawsuit against the city of Joliet and several officers accused of committing negligent acts that led her son’s death and injuries to another passenger.

On Monday, Will County Judge John Anderson granted an emergency petition to appoint Kamilia Streeter, mother of Kahleel Gaines-Streeter, 17, as administrator of her late son’s estate, court records show.

Streeter’s attorneys with the Sherwood Law Group were granted leave by Anderson to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Joliet, the Joliet Police Department, and officers Casey Killian, Justin Aloisio and Kenneth Macejak.

The emergency petition from Streeter’s attorneys had the 33-page lawsuit attached as an exhibit.

The lawsuit largely accused the three officers of committing negligent acts that led to Gaines-Streeter’s death and caused injuries to another passenger named Montavion Jackson.

The lawsuit also claimed the driver named DeShawn Pierce also died following the crash.

Police did not not name the driver at the time of the incident but said he had been flown to a hospital in Cook County following the crash.

The only person from Joliet who died in Cook County in the days after crash was D’Shawn Amari Pierce, 18, of Joliet, who was pronounced deceased on Dec. 15, 2021, from blunt force injuries suffered in a vehicle collision, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Joliet police spokesman Olin Torkelson said the department has no comment because of pending litigation. He referred further questions to the city’s legal department.

Matthew Saltzman, one of Streeter’s attorneys, did not immediately respond to a call and message on Monday.

Gaines-Streeter was the front seat passenger of a stolen vehicle that fled from police and crashed into a tree, according to a statement from Joliet police that was released last year about the incident.

At least one of the occupants of the stolen vehicle fired a gun near the corner of Collins and Cass streets about 8:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 2021, police said.

Officers spotted the vehicle a short time later near the intersection of Cass Street and Eastern Avenue and gave chase, police said.

Officers lost sight of the vehicle as it crossed the Cass Street bridge, police said, but additional officers picked up the pursuit on Western Avenue.

Those officers broke off the chase as the fleeing vehicle was speeding in residential neighborhoods without headlights, police said.

“A short time later, a 911 call was received in reference to a single-vehicle traffic crash in the 1100 block of Glenwood Avenue,” police said. “Officers responded to the scene and located the fleeing vehicle involved in the crash.”

Officers determined the fleeing vehicle was heading south on Catherine Street and approaching Glenwood when it ran off the road and hit a tree, police said.

“Three adult male occupants were located within the vehicle with serious injuries,” police said.

The driver and front seat passenger were taken to Ascension Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet and the other passenger was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, police said.

Gaines-Streeter was pronounced dead at the Joliet hospital and the driver flown to Cook County hospital. The rear passenger had remained at Silver Cross Hospital in critical condition.