LAKEWOOD, Wash. — This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
The family of a Ukrainian immigrant and father of seven children has filed a wrongful death claim against the City of Lakewood for $26 million, claiming officers violated state law and department policy during a high-speed pursuit that led to his death.
Bohdan Vetrov, a 57-year-old commercial truck driver, was killed in June 2023 when police said three juvenile suspects fled Lakewood police, ran a red light, and slammed into his semi-truck.
“He brought his family to the United States in search of a safer and more prosperous life. He was the sole provider. He was a role model to his children, of you know, American values like hard work and family commitment, and the loss is devastating, “said Mark Lindquist, the family’s attorney. “They’re devastated financially. They’re devastated emotionally.”
Claim alleges officers could have avoided the pursuit
The claim against the city alleges the suspects robbed a convenience store a little after midnight, and officers identified the suspects hours before the collision; therefore, law enforcement could have waited to coordinate a safer arrest.
Instead, according to attorneys for the family, officers waited for the suspects near a home, and when they saw him drive by, they tried to pull him over. However, the suspect driver sped away, along neighborhood streets and into a busy intersection where the suspect’s car hit the victim’s truck, according to court documents.
Attorneys said Vetrov was ejected from the truck and that he was later declared dead at a local hospital. Both teen suspects survived the crash.
“Police chases are potentially dangerous. That’s why we have laws and rules that govern those cases here,” Lindquist said. “Unfortunately, those rules were not followed, and that’s why Mr. Vetrov is dead. What the family is looking for is accountability, justice, and they don’t want to see this happen to any other families.”
Vetrov, who immigrated from Ukraine in 2017 with his wife and children, was the family’s sole provider.
So far, the City of Lakewood and the Lakewood Police Department have not responded to our questions or request for comment.
For now, attorneys have filed a claim, but under state law, they have 60 days to file a formal lawsuit.
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