More Names Added to a Lawsuit Against the Rutherford Co. Sheriff's Office after Fatal Pursuit

Aug 22, 2016 at 10:31 am by bryan


On June 24, 2016 Jessica Campos age 28 of Murfreesboro, was killed when her car was struck by a vehicle driven by Garieon Simmons of Decherd, TN.

Authorities were pursuing Simmons after he reportedly stole a Cadillac Escalade from the Coffee County Funeral Chapel on the McMinnville Highway in Manchester. At times Simmons was allegedly traveling on the wrong side of the road including Interstate 24, at a reported high rate of speed.

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The family of Campos has filed a $10 million lawsuit. Campos' husband, Edgar Campos, filed the lawsuit in Rutherford County and has now added more defendants after the original suit was filed.

Added to the suit are; the City of Manchester, Coffee County and the company that owns and operates Coffee County Funeral Chapel. Campos is represented by David Randolph Smith & Associates of Nashville and also Ivan Lopez.

Previous defendants are still named; Simmons, the Coffee County and Rutherford County sheriff's departments and Manchester Funeral Home and its owner, Tim Kilgore.

The amended suit now claims that Simmons only took the vehicle for "joyriding."

The new accusations state that Simmons only took the SUV to use it for a "joyride," and that Kilgore "needlessly and recklessly acted initially to create the risks and dangers" that lead to Campos' death. It added that Simmons "was well within his rights to flee from the reckless actions of Defendant Kilgore in fear for his own safety."

Katrina Sadler was driving the third vehicle involved in the crash and the same law firm is said to have filed a suit on her behalf.

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