The family of a commercial truck driver killed in a 2023 crash is seeking $28 million from the city of Lakewood, alleging officers violated state law and department rules when they initiated a high-speed pursuit that ended in his death, according to a wrongful-death claim filed by the family’s attorneys.
The claim, submitted under Washington’s tort-claim process, says 48-year-old Bohdan Vetrov died on June 29, 2023, when a juvenile fleeing from Lakewood police ran a red light and crashed into Vetrov’s semi-truck at the intersection of Freedom Way and Interstate 5.
Attorneys for the family argue the chase should never have happened and say officers lacked required certification, supervision, and legal justification before pursuing the teen suspect.
Vetrov immigrated to the United States from Ukraine in 2017 with his wife, Liudmyla, and their seven children.
The family settled in Pierce County, where Vetrov worked full time as a commercial truck driver and was the sole provider, according to the filing.
His death, the attorneys wrote, has caused “extensive” emotional and financial harm to the family.
According to the claim, Lakewood Officer Cole Craner was on duty early the morning of June 29 when he heard about a convenience-store robbery involving two juveniles in Tacoma hours earlier.
Craner reported he was “100% confident” he knew one suspect’s identity and home address.
Despite that certainty, the claim says Craner and another officer, identified as Officer Urckfitz, positioned themselves near the juvenile’s home rather than coordinating a planned arrest.
When they saw the teen driving through the neighborhood at normal speeds, Craner activated his patrol car’s lights.
The juvenile sped off, and both officers began chasing him.
The attorneys argue Craner lacked mandatory certification in pursuit intervention and therefore was barred from initiating a vehicle chase. Urckfitz also lacked that certification, the claim says.
The filing states that the officers did not complete a required risk assessment, did not communicate a pursuit plan, and did not conclude that immediate apprehension outweighed the risks of a high-speed chase.
The robbery had occurred more than five hours earlier, and the suspect had been driving lawfully before the pursuit began.
The claim notes that state law requires a pursuit to be terminated if it does not meet statutory conditions.
Craner continued the chase, the attorneys wrote, even after seeing Vetrov’s semi-truck lawfully entering the intersection on a green light.
Patrol-car video cited in the claim shows the juvenile running a red light and striking Vetrov’s truck.
Vetrov had no opportunity to avoid the collision, the filing states.
The attorneys argue that safe alternatives were available because the teen’s identity and home address were already known.
Those alternatives, they say, included continued surveillance, containment, or a controlled arrest once the teen returned home.
Lakewood Sgt. Mark Eakes was the on-duty supervisor, but attorneys say he became aware of the chase only after it had begun.
The claim states he was not in radio communication with Craner and did not authorize, monitor, or guide the pursuit, which is required under both state law and department policy.
The filing says the lack of oversight reflects broader training and supervision failures within the department.
The attorneys argue the officers acted “negligently, recklessly, and with indifference” to law and policy.
They say Vetrov’s death was preventable and that the department showed “deliberate indifference to public safety.”
The family is asking for $26 million.
If Lakewood does not settle, the attorneys intend to file a lawsuit in Pierce County Superior Court.
When reached for comment, the Lake Police Department said, “As per our common practice, the city has no comment on this case as it is pending litigation.”
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