GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. -- The Estate of Theresa M. Kingcade, is suing Sheriff BJ Barnes, and Deputy Chris Lineback in relation to a pursuit that left five people dead.
The Sheriff and Deputy are being sued for Wrongful Death.
The chase happened in September of 2017.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Deputy Lineback spotted an Acura that had been reported stolen, out of Greensboro. When the officer tried to pull the driver over, the person sped up, blew through a red light at New Garden Road and Battleground Ave. and collided with an Optima that crossing the intersection at New Garden.
The chase itself reached speeds of nearly 130 mph.
The people in both cars were killed, which includes the three people in the Acura and two people in the Optima.
The three in the Acura were Deshon Lee Manuel, 42; Theresa Monique Kingcade, 34; and, Bruce Wayne Hunt, 30. The driver of the Optima was Stephanie Louise Warshauer, 32. Her passenger was 29-year-old Alyssa Mackenzie Bolick. All five that died were Greensboro residents.
The claim alleges Deputy Chris Lineback, the Deputy involved in the chase is the reason 5 people are dead.
It says "Deputy Lineback's gross negligence, and malicious and deliberate wrongful acts are the direct and proximate cause of Ms. Kingcade's wrongful death."
This lawsuit was filed by Mary Dennis, the mother of Theresa Kingcade, who is one of the passengers in the Acura that was fleeing the Sheriff's Deputy.
Theresa Kingcade leaves behind three children, who now have to be cared for by Mrs. Dennis.
The suit goes on to say the Sheriff did not properly train his deputies to decide when and when not to pursue someone.
Since this incident, the Sheriff's Office has revised its pursuit policies, which the suit also mentions as a point of interest.
We reached out to the lawyer for the Estate of Theresa Kingcade, and they declined to comment.
The attorney for the Sheriff's Office say he expects a revised lawsuit in the coming days so they also aren't commenting.
We reached out to the lawyer for the two victims in the car that was struck by the fleeing vehicle.
He said: “My clients have no comment on the newly filed lawsuit but they appreciate the policy changes and training implemented to date by our Sheriff. Their focus continues to be the pursuit of broader chase policy changes, locally and statewide, to protect the lives of our dedicated law enforcement officers and innocent bystanders.”
Kingcade's Estate is asking for $250,000.
Sheriff BJ Barnes has always maintained that Deputy Lineback followed procedure, and never broke the laws of North Carolina.