Chandler is cutting a six-figure check to close the book on a high school “promposal” stunt that went very wrong.
On Thursday, Chandler City Council approved a $340,000 settlement tied to a 2023 campus traffic stunt outside Arizona College Prep that left former student William Vannasap seriously injured. Vannasap was hit while riding a motorcycle after a staged on-campus “promposal” involved a Porsche running a stop sign. The agreement resolves the city’s exposure in the case without Chandler admitting liability.
The May 7 council agenda listed “Settlement in William Vannasap vs. City of Chandler, et al.,” including case number CV2024-090659 and a request to authorize a $340,000 payment “in full and final satisfaction of claims.” It also empowered the City Attorney to sign whatever documents were needed to finalize the deal, according to the City of Chandler agenda.
The crash itself dates back to April 2023, when a Porsche reportedly blew through a stop sign on school property and smashed into Vannasap as he was leaving Arizona College Prep on his motorcycle, as reported by ABC News. Coverage at the time said the collision followed a staged “promposal” on campus and that body-camera audio later captured officers and school staff talking about the plan.
Vannasap’s attorney, April Speelmon, filed a notice of claim in October 2023 seeking $1 million, then moved ahead with a lawsuit alleging the City of Chandler and the Chandler Unified School District shared responsibility for what happened, according to Arizona's Family. Speelmon has said her client suffered a concussion, injuries on his right side, and lingering problems with memory and concentration after the collision.
City records show officials had been talking behind closed doors about the case for months before this week’s vote. A Dec. 15, 2025 executive-session agenda listed “William Vannasap v. City of Chandler” among several litigations discussed with the city attorney, suggesting settlement talks were underway well before the public vote, according to the Chandler City Council minutes. That private discussion came months ahead of the May consent-agenda item that ultimately approved the payout.
What the settlement covers
The settlement language is the kind of carefully lawyered phrasing city halls lean on when they want a case to go away without conceding fault. The agenda describes the $340,000 payment as “in full and final satisfaction of all claims asserted without admitting liability,” and the council vote authorized the City Attorney to sign whatever paperwork is needed to carry it out, per the City of Chandler agenda.
The council approved the settlement as part of its May 7 regular meeting, placing the item on the consent agenda and effectively shutting down the city’s side of the legal fight. The vote cleared the $340,000 payment this week, according to 12News.
When the case first drew wider attention, Vannasap’s sister called the footage “heartbreaking” to watch, and his attorney has described continuing cognitive and physical issues stemming from the crash. The notice of claim initially gave the city and the school district 60 days to respond before a lawsuit could be filed, according to ABC News. It is not yet publicly clear whether any claims against other parties are still active.
For Chandler families, the case lands as a cautionary tale about how well-intended stunts on school grounds can spiral into serious injuries, emotional fallout, and expensive legal bills for local governments. City officials have not offered additional public comment beyond what appears in the formal meeting records, leaving the agenda packet and council minutes as the main public window into how this settlement came together.
