5 days ago
Metro Detroit woman remains in ICU after Livonia police pursuit ends in crash
A Metro Detroit woman is still in the ICU recovering after her vehicle was split in half by the car trying to escape Livonia police.
Kim Hancock and her husband, Mark, are longtime members of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Detroit.
Father John York says they would be the first to step up and help in times of need.
"Good people, servant-hearted people, and you know, always there to lend a helping hand whenever anything happens with anyone else. So, it's really encouraging to see how much people have been rallying around them, how much support has come in," York said.
The community is rallying after Hancock's car was hit by another vehicle attempting to escape Livonia police during a traffic stop that started near the intersection of 7 Mile and Middlebelt roads.
"When the accident happened, she had broken sternum, broken ribs, internal bleeding. They had to do surgery for four hours to repair the internal bleeding. She was in the ICU and on a ventilator," said Laura Kline, a family friend.
The driver traveled south and eventually ended up hitting Kim's car near Merriman and 5 Mile roads.
"At one point, we weren't even sure if she would make it," Kline said.
The Livonia Police Department denied CBS News Detroit's request for an interview. Instead, the department's public information officer referred CBS News Detroit to the department's website to review its pursuit policy.
After searching and talking to the executive assistant for the administrative bureau, CBS News Detroit learned the pursuit policy is not listed online and would require filing a Freedom of Information Act request for the pursuit policy.
"Usually, a supervisor monitors the pursuit policy and says, 'Yay or nay,'" said Steve Dolunt, a retired assistant chief of police for the Detroit Police Department. "You have to determine time of day, any traffic conditions, speed of the vehicle. Are you by a school? All those things weigh into where you should pursue or cut off pursuit."
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been organized to help Hancock and her family after this terrible accident.
"I wanted them to have at least one less thing to worry about at this moment," Kline said.
Hancock is expected to get out of the ICU soon, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her.
The two people in the car that hit Hancock were arrested.
In the meantime, CBS News Detroit has filed a FOIA request with the Livonia Police Department.
