Town of Plainfield settles for nearly $800K with family of couple killed during police chase

PLAINFIELD, Ind. - The Town of Plainfield has agreed to a settlement of nearly $780,000 to be paid to the family of an elderly couple who were killed when a former Plainfield police officer slammed into them during a high-speed pursuit. 




The crash happened at U.S. Highway 40 and Smith Road in August 2024. 




Officer Logan Westerfield was chasing 38-year-old Bryan Goodmon after he encountered Goodmon at the Long John Silvers on Clarks Creek Road. At the restaurant, Westerfield spoke with Goodmon, who was sitting in the driver's seat of a car. Goodmon fled the scene during his interaction with the officer. Police reported that Goodmon nearly struck the officer as he drove away from Long John Silvers. 




Westerfield chased Goodmon because he believed he may have been intoxicated.




Barbara Williams, 78, and Bennie - also known as Joe - Williams, 79, were attempting to turn left from Smith Road to U.S. Highway 40. As the officer involved in the pursuit approached the intersection, the Williams' got a green arrow and proceeded to turn. 

The Event Data Recorder (EDR) in the officer's vehicle showed the officer was driving 100 mph 2.5 seconds prior to the crash. Two seconds before the crash, the officer applied his car's brakes. Investigators believe the officer's speed was between 56.78 mph and 58.64 mph at the time of the crash.




The couple was pronounced dead at the scene.




In November, the Town of Plainfield agreed to settle with the Williams' family members. Court records show the town's insurance company agreed to pay $773,374 for both Barbara and Bennie's deaths.




The Williams family will only see $600,000 of that with the rest going to attorneys fees.




As part of the settlement, the Town of Plainfield denies any wrongdoing.




FOX59/CBS4 had been trying for months to obtain details of the settlement. When FOX59/CBS4 submitted a records request for the settlement documentation, the Town of Plainfield redacted the settlement amount.




Because the settlement had to be approved by a judge, FOX59/CBS4 requested the documentation from the Hendricks County Clerk's Office. The county clerk then told FOX59/CBS4 the documents detailing the settlement were confidential.




It was only after FOX59/CBS4 appealed directly to the judge on the case that the documents were made public.




"I can guarantee you that Barbara and Joe's life was worth so much more to their surviving family members than $386,000," personal injury attorney Brandon Yosha said.




Yosha is not affiliated with this case but said he was appalled by the settlement.




Under Indiana law, the maximum claim against a government entity is capped at $700,000 per person.




"Anything less than the $1.4 million in my mind is discounted justice and discounted justice is no justice at all," Yosha said. "I have no idea why their attorney would consider accepting any amount below the cap."




In a statement, the Town of Plainfield said the loss of the Williams' was a "heartbreaking tragedy."




"While no resolution can ever replace their loss, we hope this brings some measure of closure to the family," a town spokesperson said.




Officer Westerfield resigned from the Plainfield Police Department in October. Goodmon was charged and his case is still pending.



via: https://fox59.com/news/town-of-plainfield-settles-for-nearly-800k-with-family-of-couple-killed-during-police-chase/