Family Going Through ‘Emotional Roller Coaster' After Woman Killed When Off-Duty Officer Crashed Into Building

The woman had just ordered food when a vehicle driven by an off-duty Chicago cop crashed into a building

A family is coming to grips with the loss of a young woman killed when a car driven by an off-duty police officer struck her inside of a South Side restaurant early Sunday morning.

“We are going through an emotional roller coaster, and it’s really hard,“ Marjorie Bowman, whose niece Marquita Reed was killed in the crash Sunday, said. “She’s just a special, and a part of us is gone.“

Early Sunday morning, Reed and a friend were ordering food at Tony’s Philly Steak near 87th and Wood in Chicago’s Auburn-Gresham neighborhood when a car, driven by an off-duty Chicago police officer, crashed into the building.

Reed’s friend suffered a leg injury, but Reed was pinned underneath the vehicle, and later died from her injuries.

According to authorities, the officer was trying to avoid a crash at the intersection at the time of the incident.

“My daughter was the sweetest person that anyone would ever want to meet, and she loved everybody,“ Angela Reed, Marquita’s mother, said. “She made everybody love her.“

The man behind the wheel of that car, a 24-year-old off-duty officer, is now expected to face charges of driving under the influence, as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson revealed Sunday that the officer’s Blood Alcohol Content was over the legal limit.

“He’ll be held accountable for his actions,“ Johnson said.

A deadly crash took the life of a woman inside a Chicago restaurant after authorities say an off-duty police officer swerved into a building to avoid a crash. Now, the officer is expected to face charges. NBC 5’s Trina Orlando has the story. 

“When we heard that it was an off-duty officer that had a DUI, it’s just unbelievable,“ Bowman said. “That person is supposed to serve and protect (us).“

Marquita Reed leaves behind two children, ages 13 and 11, and her family said that she had just finished nursing school. Now however, her family is being forced to say goodbye to her, and they’re still coming to grips with her tragic death.

“She would do anything for anybody, and I am going to miss her so much,“ her mother said.

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