Children severely injured in crash; lawsuit says Bedford Park police 'failed' to detain suspect

BEDFORD PARK, Il.. (WLS) -- The parents of two children hurt in a March crash are suing the Village of Bedford Park.

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In March, Miguel Alvarado crashed into the Odeh's family's car with a stolen U.S. Postal Service truck in Bridgeview, police said.

The new lawsuit filed by the family of the injured children claims Beford Park police officers failed to properly detain Alvarado.

Alvarado had been released from police custody earlier in the day after setting a fire at a nearby Walmart, according to court records. He then got into trouble again.

Officers were called to a Speedway Gas Station where prosecutors say he was causing a disruption inside the convenience store.

When officers arrived, the documents state Alvarado moved across the street to a nearby fire station where he accepted their offer to drop him off at the CTA's Orange line-after he finished his cigarette.

Surveillance video shows the officers chatting underneath the awning when several feet away Alvarado gets into one of the parked police squad cars and drives off.

A short time later, after having ditched the squad and stolen a mail truck, Alvarado crashed into the Odeh's family vehicle.

"The police officers were beyond careless in how they handled that matter. I just want to make sure no family has to go through that," father Ali Odeh said.

All these months later the children are still at Shirley Ryan's Mobility Lab.

Seven-year-old Mohammed has a traumatic brain injury. Afaf, who turns four on Wednesday, may never walk again.

The children's parents are suing the Village of Bedford Park. Their attorney says the crash was entirely preventable.

"Bedford Park police had a known danger right at its grasp and instead of placing him in police custody, controlling him, they allowed him unexplainably to walk across the street to have a cigarette," Curcio & Casciato attorney Jack Casciato said.

"This crash has taken our lives and our entire family apart. And has everyday since been a nightmare," the father of the kids said.

Alvarado died in Cook County Jail less than a month after the accident. His cause of death has not been determined.

ABC7 reached out to the Village of Bedford Park; but have yet to receive a response.

READ ALSO | Suspect steals Bedford Park police squad car, USPS truck, hits family of 3 in Bridgeview: Officials