The children of two people killed during a police chase will receive no money from the city of Pittsburgh and likely will never collect damages from the fleeing driver because he remains in prison.

A Common Pleas Court jury ruled Tuesday that city police officers who initiated the chase in Homewood on May 25, 2006 were negligent.

But they found that the driver's decision to run a red light -- not the officers' decision to pursue the vehicle over broken taillights -- caused the deaths of Jerome Smith, 34, of Stanton Heights, and Michelle Rankin, 35, of Wilkinsburg.

As a result, their children will recover no money from the city. The victims' families had filed a wrongful death suit against the city.

The jurors ordered the fleeing driver, Devon Miles, to pay total damages of $610,000 for Mr. Smith and $1.7 million for Ms. Rankin, but the children will likely never see any of that money.

Mr. Miles pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and is serving a 10- to 20-year prison sentence.

Ms. Rankin and Mr. Smith had just been at Home Depot and were on their way to a home she was fixing up to rent, when her Ford Escort was hit broadside at Bennett Street and North Lang Avenue.

Mr. Miles, who was driving a small pickup truck, had been pulled over by officers in an unmarked car because his taillights were out. Instead of stopping, he fled.

The chase only lasted about 10 seconds, and police said Mr. Miles reached speeds of about 60 mph. He ran a red light at the intersection where he hit Mr. Smith and Ms. Rankin.

During the trial, attorneys for the families argued that city officers failed to follow proper pursuit procedure. Though a gun and drugs were found in Mr. Miles' car after the crash, officers had no indication he was guilty of anything other than a vehicle violation when they initiated the chase, the families' attorneys said.

Further, attorney Alan Perer argued, the officers did not take into consideration other parts of the city's policy, like the time of day, pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and speeds being traveled.

"I think it's a travesty," Mr. Perer said. "There's a different set of rules that apply in Homewood than in Squirrel Hill and Shadyside. I can assure you that wouldn't happen in a more affluent community."

What was more frustrating, he said, is that under the law, the city would only have been responsible for a total payout for both families of just $500,000.

Shawnece Moore, Mr. Smith's sister, was confused by the verdict.

"How are you going to say 'yes, they're negligent,' but, 'no, they aren't the cause?' " she asked. "Those two things go hand in hand."

But city attorney John Doherty disagreed.

"I don't see a disparity," he said. "Our position was and is that Devon Miles made a choice. He chose to ignore a red signal and entered an intersection out of his own selfishness and disregard for others."

Mr. Doherty said that the same pursuit policy in place at the time of the crash continues today.

Ms. Moore, who called the jury's decision "ludicrous," vowed to continue to fight to change the city's procedures.

"They obviously have not been trained properly," she said. "The jury agreed they did not followed proper procedure."

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