The city of Chattanooga is being sued for $2.5 million in the traffic death of UTC student Vanessa Free.
Ms. Free died at 12:50 a.m. on Nov. 17 when the car she was riding in was struck at an intersection of MLK Boulevard by a police cruiser going to a disturbance.
The suit is filed by the victim's mother, Sarah Bogan.
It says Ms. Free was a passenger in a 1998 Saturn being driven by fellow student Renee Krueger. Ms. Free was in the front seat.
Ms. Krueger was proceeding through the intersection at Douglas Street and had a green light when the Saturn was hit, the suit says.
The suit says the light was red for City Police Officer Matthew Vandergriff, but he "ran the red light at a high rate of speed and slammed into the passenger side of the Saturn killing Vanessa Free."
It says the death of Ms. Free "was caused by the negligence of Officer Vandergriff."
The suit claims the officer was not operating his emergency equipment, that he ran the red light, that he was speeding, that he did not slow down for the intersection, that he failed to yield to the Saturn and that he failed to keep a proper lookout.
It was stated, "He did not follow police guidelines or policies for the operation of emergency vehicles and for engaging in pursuit."
The suit claims the officer was guilty of reckless driving.
It says, "Vanessa Free was a lovely, intelligent and talented young woman with a bright future ahead of her. She had a substantial earning capacity and a normal or above normal life expectancy."
The suit was filed in Circuit Court by attorneys John Bingham and E.G. Moody of Kingsport. Ms. Free was from Kingsport.
City police have an internal affairs investigation ongoing regarding the incident.