BELLEVILLE – A family has filed a lawsuit against St. Clair County officers, claiming a high-speed pursuit led to a collision that killed their toddler.
Plaintiff Tanisha Smith, acting individually and as Personal Representative of the Estate of Marqiest Bean, and Percy Bean filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against the St. Clair County, the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson, two deputies, the Village of Dupo, the Dupo Police Department, and a Dupo patrolman.
According to the lawsuit, on July 2, 2022, officers from the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department were engaged in a high-speed pursuit of a vehicle carrying an individual suspected of trespassing. The lawsuit alleges that during the chase, the suspect's vehicle entered an on-ramp and struck the plaintiff's vehicle in a head-on collision. One-year old Marqiest Bean was a passenger in the plaintiffs' vehicle and was tragically killed during the collision.
The lawsuit states that Illinois law provides that drivers of emergency vehicles may exceed the speed limit so long as it does not endanger life or property. The plaintiffs claim the defendants continued a high-speed pursuit of the suspect despite the alleged high risk to innocent citizens, including the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial to seek damages in excess of $50,000 for the death of their child, medical expenses, funeral costs, personal injuries, lost wages, pain, suffering, interest, court costs and any other relief the court deems proper. They are represented in this case by the attorneys of The Simon Law Firm, P.C. in St. Louis.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 23LA0765