JOHNSTOWN – A wrongful death suit alleges that an unknown member of the Pennsylvania State Police used excessive force to end a police chase pursuit, which resulted in a car accident and subsequently, the man’s death.
Valerie Peoples (as Administratrix of the Estate of Matthew Chelgren) of Clearfield County filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on Dec. 7 versus Pennsylvania State Police Trooper John Doe.
“On April 8, 2023, troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police engaged in a pursuit of Chelgren in their police vehicles. Chelgren was driving a Toyota 4Runner. Based on an eyewitness account at the scene of the crash, a Pennsylvania State Trooper stated that the pursuit was over ‘a license plate issue.’ The news also reported that according to a state police report, Chelgren, 38, of Grampian, was driving a Toyota 4Runner that did not have a registration. The state police initially attempted to stop Chelgren over a minor traffic code violation. When Chelgren did not pull over, the state police initiated and engaged in a dangerous pursuit that originated from a minor traffic code violation,” the suit says.
“The pursuit ended on Harper Mine Road in the proximity of the intersection with East Hepburnia Road in Curwensville, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, when defendant John Doe, acting under the color of law, intentionally executed a PIT maneuver and/or forcibly rammed his police vehicle into Chelgren’s vehicle, forcing Chelgren’s vehicle off the road and into a tree, killing him. Chelgren’s motor vehicle was forced off the roadway and struck a tree in the proximity of the front yard of a residence located at 1872 Harper Mine Road, Curwensville, PA 16833. Chelgren died at the scene of the crash but did not die immediately and endured great pain and suffering, fear, and mental anguish before his death.”
The suit adds that “defendant John Doe’s decision to ram Chelgren’s vehicle off the road was the decision to use deadly force under the facts and circumstances presented to them and specifically, defendant John Doe rammed Chelgren’s vehicle and/or executed a PIT maneuver at a location in the pursuit where it was almost certain that Chelgren’s vehicle would be forced to hit a tree.”
“Defendant John Doe knew he was exercising deadly force when he intentionally rammed Chelgren's vehicle off the road under the circumstances. Defendant John Doe, in fact, used deadly force in ramming Chelgren’s motor vehicle and/or executing a PIT maneuver to force Chelgren’s motor vehicle off the road,” the suit states.
“Defendant John Doe used unreasonable force during the pursuit of Chelgren and, thus, violated Chelgren’s Fourth Amendment rights which is actionable under the Federal Civil Rights Act. Defendant John Doe’s actions violated Chelgren’s clearly-established constitutional rights by using objectively unreasonable and deadly force under the circumstances. Defendant John Doe’s actions also violated the Pennsylvania State Police’s own rules and policies regarding the use of force.”
For counts of excessive force and state-created danger under 42 U.S.C Section 1983, assault, battery, survival and wrongful death, the plaintiff is seeking all compensable damages, plus interest, costs, attorney’s fees and punitive damages against defendant for his outrageous conduct and reckless indifference to the rights of Chelgren, as well as any other relief this Court deems just.
The plaintiff is represented by Anthony E. Patterson of Anthony E. Patterson & Associates, in Pittsburgh.
The defendant has not yet obtained legal counsel.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania case 3:23-cv-00297
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com