Local News

Woman Alleges Police Cover-Up In High Speed Chase

CHICAGO (CBS) ― A Chicago woman is accusing a suburban police department of trying to cover up what really happened during a "high-speed chase." CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini tells us a little black box may hold the truth to what happened.

Celebrating her 21st birthday in a hospital's intensive care unit is not what Jasmine McClodden planned.

"I was really sad," Jasmine said. "I was really sad."

The nursing student was critically injured in this car when it was crushed by a Midlothian squad car.

McClodden says an overzealous officer chasing another car at high speeds put her and the public at risk.

According to reports, the police chase went on for about 20 blocks. They headed out in Midlothian, over its border, past the town of Robins, through an intersection, and ultimately ended in a devastating crash at the Blue Island/Alsip border.

"The pain was unbearable – unbearable," Jasmine said.

Officer Jennifer Sepessy, 25, crashed into McClodden at 127th and Kedzie, causing burns, and crushing her pelvis and internal organs.

"Fractured ribs, collapsed lungs, ruptured bladder, and I had a lot of internal bleeding," Jasmine said.

Who was Officer Sepessy chasing? A man wanted for traffic violations.

"All of this over a traffic violation," Jasmine said. "All of this could've been avoided."

After the crash, reports filed by Sepessy and other police officers raise serious questions.

In her official report obtained by 2 Investigators, Sepessy claimed she was going about 40 miles an hour during the chase, and she said she "reduced my speed" before the crash happened.

Devon Bruce, McClodden's attorney, says a black box inside Sepessy's squad tells a very different story.

"When I saw the reports, my reaction was, again, one of shock," Bruce said.

A computer chip was recording all of the officer's driving actions including her speed. It shows seconds before the crash Sepessy was not going 40 mph -- she was actually speeding at 68 mph.

McClodden believes she has become the victim of a police cover-up.

"I think it's horrible, I think it's wrong and I think she should just fess up to the fact that she was in the wrong," Jasmine said.

"The village of Midlothian is attempting to cover up or explain away for the tragedy that had happened here," Bruce said.

A second officer in another report says the car McClodden was riding in was speeding, that it was "traveling at a very high rate of speed through the intersection."

Again not true, according to another black box, the one in McClodden's car, which showed she was only traveling 30 mph when hit.

"It was completely avoidable," Bruce said.

Bruce says to top it off, the chase never should have taken place.

Chasing a suspect only wanted on traffic offenses is against Midlothian Police policy.

In fact another Midlothian officer stated no police units (which would include Sepessy) asked him permission to conduct the chase.

"It's a lack of training, it's a lack of enforcement, it's a lack of supervision," Bruce said.

Six months after the February crash, Jasmine McClodden is still fighting for the truth and to recover from her injuries

"Every day I have nightmares," Jasmine said. "Every day."

Officer Sepessy declined to comment. Midlothian's high-speed chase policy says officers have to slow down at intersections and make sure the way is clear. Officer Sepessy, in her report, says she didn't see any cars in the intersection.

Since McClodden has filed a lawsuit, no one from Midlothian would comment on the case.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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