Mother of teen killed in Alabama crash sues city, officer & driver

HARTSELLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The mother of Tristian Hollis, the 17-year-old killed in a wreck in Hartselle in September, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Priceville, the police officer and the driver he was chasing.

According to the lawsuit, Rachel Moore is suing several entities involved in the wreck that killed her son and injured three other teenagers.

The court document states that Archie Hale, the man who was driving the car that hit the van full of teenagers, was negligent and “should have known that his actions would likely result in injury or death.“

It also states that both the City of Priceville and Garry Chapman, a Priceville police officer, were negligent in their role in the chase that led to the deadly crash.

The lawsuit states that the City of Priceville was negligent in its hiring, training and supervision, saying it “negligently, recklessly, and/or wantonly employed or hired, supervised, monitored, trained, investigated, and/or retained as an agent, servant, or employee, Defendant Garry Chapman.”

Additionally, the document said that Chapman, in his individual capacity, “negligently operated a motor vehicle and violated his duty to Tristan Hollis to operate his vehicle safely on Alabama public highways.”

The lawsuit stated that Chapman was driving at dangerous speeds and violated established rules for police pursuits by driving at excessive speeds while outside of the Priceville Police Department’s jurisdiction. He also failed to properly notify the Hartselle Police Department that he was chasing a suspect into their district.

News 19 has also spoken to Chapman’s attorney Scott Morro, who argues Chapman was doing his job as a police officer.

“The criminal ran the red light and struck the victims, unfortunately, but Garry Chapman is not to blame for pursuing criminals,” Morro said.

Morro said police officers have to make decisions in the field, and Chapman took precautions, like turning on his lights and sirens.

“Bad things happen sometimes. We can’t be blaming law enforcement in the first responders unless it’s clear. In this case, Garry Chapman acted appropriately in accordance with his training with the policy and the law,” Morro said.

The crash was the result of a chase between Hale and Chapman. PPD said that Chapman attempted to stop Hale for moving violations/suspicion of driving under the influence.

The family of Braxton Wales, one of the teenagers who was injured, sued Hale earlier this month. They said that Hale acted negligently and recklessly by speeding through the red light. The lawsuit also said that Hale was under the influence of a controlled substance and could not safely operate a vehicle.

Wales’ family is asking Hale for compensation toward medical expenses and other damages.

Chapman was fired in late September and decided to appeal the decision to the city council. The council voted unanimously to reinstate Chapman to the police department on October 13, reversing the suspension and promising additional training in the future.

Hale was charged with murder and is being held at the Morgan County Jail without bond.