Montgomery County settles pedestrian death suit

The county is paying $144,000 to settle with the family of the man killed in a high-speed chase.

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners have approved paying $144,000 to the estate of a Dayton man killed after being struck by a vehicle last year involved in a high-speed chase.

The estate of Agyasi Ector sued members of the Trotwood Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in connection to his July 2014 death.

Ector, 27, died at the scene of a crash that occurred after police pursuits involving Trotwood officers and sheriff’s deputies.

The county authorized the payment on Tuesday, one month after the city of Trotwood approved spending $25,000 to settle the lawsuit.

On July 26, 2014, Ector was walking to work at Home Depot along Shiloh Springs Road when he was hit by a 2006 black Chevrolet Impala driven by 22-year-old Aaron Johnson.

Johnson, of Dayton, was fleeing sheriff’s deputies after a detective tried to set up a fake heroin purchase in Harrison Twp. to take him into custody.

Johnson fled and struck two unmarked police vehicles during his escape, officials said.

The chase resumed in Trotwood, and sheriff’s deputies, Trotwood police and a Five Rivers MetroParks officer at various times participated in the pursuit, court documents said.

Johnson traveled at speeds in excess of 100 mph while attempting to avoid arrest.

While traveling east on Shiloh Springs Road, Johnson lost control of his vehicle and struck Ector, a utility pole and a ditch. Ector was walking on the sidewalk.

Johnson was convicted of aggravated vehicular assault and other felony crimes and was sentence to 16 years in prison.

Ector’s mother, Susan Adegboruwa, filed a civil suit against the law enforcement agencies involved in the pursuit, alleging wrongful death and personal injuries. She is the administrator of his estate.

The civil suit claims members of the law enforcement agencies engaged in a reckless, high-speed chase without justificaiton.

The suit claims Johnson had no active warrants and the officers chased his vehicle through a high-traffic area at a time when there was heavy traffic.

The suit claims Johnson drove recklessly and failed to maintain control of his vehicle because of the police pursuit. The suit claims officers acted in ways that endangered Ector and the general public.

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