CHANDLER, AZ — An East Valley student has filed a notice of claim against the City of Chandler and Chandler Unified School District after being injured in a crash during an apparent “promposal.”
In April 2023, 18-year-old William Vannasap was riding his motorcycle on school property when he was struck by a car. ABC News says the vehicle was reportedly driven by a student who purposely ran a stop sign as part of a plan to ask a girl to a school dance.
"It's just heartbreaking even to watch that video because. In any instant. He could have passed away," William's sister Mayci Vannasap told ABC News.
In the video, you see a Porsche driven by a student, according to police, with his girlfriend in the passenger seat, barreling through a stop sign into a motorcycle. The rider, identified as Vannasap, is thrown into the air and plummets to the ground.
"You can see on the video the student wasn't going 15mph in the school zone. You could tell that he was going way faster. That was very shocking to us," said Daisee Vannasap, William's other sister.
"He told us that when he got hit, he let out the most blood-grueling scream ever," added Mayci.
According to ABC News, the plan was for the driver to be pulled over by an officer at the school, who was in on the plan, and pretend to get in trouble for running the stop sign.
Vannasap’s family spoke with ABC News about the incident, saying the incident could have turned out even worse and claimed the teen’s life.
Now, Vannasap is filing a notice of claim against the school district and the city, stating the student driver had permission from the school resource officers and the principal to run a stop sign in the school parking lot... as part of the student's plan to ask his girlfriend to an upcoming school dance.
In a police report, the officer stated the principal had approached him to discuss a parent issue involving a separate incident. The officer told him he was helping a student with a prom proposal. In the report, the officer stated the plan was for the student driver to roll at the stop sign, but instead, the student drove towards the stop sign at a high rate of speed and did not look both ways nor slow down.
The district tells ABC News it cannot comment as this is a pending legal matter.
