The family of a woman killed in a police chase in Independence reaches a settlement

The family of a Buckner woman killed during a police chase in Independence last year has reached a wrongful death settlement with her killer and his insurance company.

Sharon Ault, 50, was killed on September 24, 2023, when Matthew T. Brooks struck her Dodge Avenger as she fled from Independence police in a stolen pickup truck.

Brooks, 33, drove the wrong way on the highway to avoid police and drove south in the northbound lanes of Little Blue Parkway.

Ault’s children and the widower will each receive $7,584.05 after legal fees, court documents show. One of the children is under 18 and his settlement was deposited into a savings account managed by his father, Douglas Ault.

Officers pursued Brooks on U.S. 24 as he drove 100 mph, but gave up the pursuit when he drove on the wrong side of the road, court documents show. Ault, who was driving north on Little Blue Parkway, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Independence police track more vehicles by far than any other department in the area, including Kansas City, a nine-month Star investigation found in March.

The rules governing when Independence police officers can conduct car chases are extremely vague, the Star investigation has found. It is common for chases by Independence officers to reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour, as was the case in the chase that killed Sharon Ault.

Ault’s five children, along with her husband, Castulo Guzman Vasquez, were named in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ault’s daughter, Jessica Oluobo. As court documents show, the family sued for $51,000 because that was the amount for which Ault was insured against damage caused by an uninsured driver.

A mother of five who grew up in Independence and lived in Buckner, Ault was very close to her family and loved arts and crafts, fairs and Disney World.

The family is mourning the ‘wonderful’ Buckner woman who died after a truck fleeing police struck her car

Although the agreement means he cannot be tried by the Ault family, Brooks still faces a jury trial in January 2025. He was charged with second-degree murder, resisting arrest and tampering with a vehicle — all felonies — in November 2023, according to court records.

During his lifetime, Ault was represented by Standard Fire Insurance Company. According to court documents, Brooks was uninsured at the time of the accident. He is now represented by Travelers Indemnity Company.

A fundraiser launched after Ault’s death raised $2,075 for funeral expenses.