A Cook County jury on May 8, 2026, found two Chicago police officers were not liable for injuries suffered by an Uber driver and his passenger after their car was hit by a man fleeing a traffic stop. Jurors concluded the fleeing motorist, not the city’s pursuit, caused the crash.
Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry, in a statement to WTTW News, said, “This verdict reflects the jury’s clear conclusion that the crash resulted from the fleeing offender’s own actions, and not from the city’s lawful pursuit.” The suit was brought by Bhuwan Rai, who was driving for Uber, and his passenger, Musherruddin Mohammed, who said they were struck while stopped at a red light on March 3, 2023, near Ashland Avenue and Flournoy Street outside Stroger Hospital. In their complaint, they alleged the three-minute pursuit reached speeds up to 100 miles per hour and ran red lights and stop signs, and WTTW News reported that the fleeing driver, Juan Ochoa, later pleaded guilty to felony drunken driving.
Officer history and oversight
The pursuit involved Officers Tobias Houston and J.P. O’Brien, and watchdog records show Houston has been tied to multiple pursuits and internal investigations. COPA’s final summary reports show Houston was exonerated in a June 6, 2024, use-of-force review (COPA) but that a separate Aug. 16, 2024, inquiry sustained a finding that he failed to timely activate his body-worn camera (COPA). Those files are part of a broader set of probes and lawsuits tied to high-speed pursuits.
Costs and city context
The verdict lands in the middle of an expensive and politically charged debate over police pursuit policy and payouts. According to WTTW News, taxpayers have paid at least $103.1 million since January 2025 to resolve 14 lawsuits tied to police pursuits. At the same time, the City Council recently refused to approve an $8.3 million settlement in the Dominga Flores Gomez case, the Sun-Times reported…