Eddie Mays v. City of East St. Louis, Illinois, Leland Cherry, and Victor Lee Burries

EASTERBROOK, Circuit Judge.

Victor Lee Burries made an illegal U-turn one night in East St. Louis. Officer Leland Cherry activated his lights and pulled behind the car to make a traffic stop. Burries did not halt. Cherry turned on his siren and spotlight. Burries then took off at high speed, ignored red lights, and swerved across lanes to avoid traffic, with Cherry in pursuit. At a railroad crossing Burries’ auto became airborne; on the way down it smashed into a cement barrier. Nine people (six of them children) were passengers in Burries’ car. One died; others were severely injured. Many of…