Mother of woman killed in police chase in Denver sues police

The mother of a 24-year-old Commerce City woman who died in a traffic crash following a chase with two Denver Police Department officers is suing them for wrongful death and negligence, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Denver District Court.

Cassandra Livingston was killed in a car accident on the night of October 27, 2022, after fleeing from Denver officers Matthew Prell and Jonathan Hayes.

Prell and Hayes began a chase in Livingston’s black Kia Soul after she sped away from a 7-Eleven at 7676 E. Colfax Ave. They began pursuing the car because Kia Souls are “commonly stolen vehicles,” according to the complaint filed on behalf of Livingston’s mother, Tillie McHone.

The patrol car drove past Ashley Middle School at 68 miles per hour and near Syracuse and 23rd Avenue at 76 miles per hour, the complaint says.

Livingston crashed into a tree in the 2400 block of Roslyn Street and was later pronounced dead.

According to the complaint and a DPD disciplinary report, Prell and Hayes initially denied pursuing the Kia Soul.

McHone only learned of the chase through a news report on a Denver television station in January, according to the June 3 lawsuit filed by Denver law firm The Viorst Law Offices.

According to DPD records, Hayes and Prell were suspended from the police force for 40 days for participating in a chase and 30 days for making misleading statements following a disciplinary hearing in December. The suspensions ran concurrently.