The incident occurred just last month in Chicago, Illinois.
Terrance Finley, who had a civic duty to protect and serve as a Chicago-based police officer, was charged in a deadly DUI car crash just last month.
Finley, who is 24 years old, was caught speeding in Chicago’s South Side early Sunday morning. His actions resulted in the death of one person and the injuries of two others. Going about 75 mph, Finley slammed into Tony’s Philly Cheese Steak restaurant. The crash resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman inside the establishment.
The woman, Marquita N. Reed, had just ordered and was waiting for her food to be prepared at Tony’s. Two unnamed individuals were also struck by Finley’s Corolla and were injured. Allegedly, Finley swerved his Toyota Corolla to avoid running into a car that was turning in front of him. In doing so, he jumped the southeast curb at 80th and Wood streets, thereby crashing into Tony’s.
According to authorities, Finley has received tickets for speeding (49 mph in a 25-mph zone) as well as texting and driving. Both charges occurred after he became a police officer in 2017.
An ex- track star from Western Illinois University, Finley was well-liked by his colleagues. On the day of the crash, he had been attending a birthday party with friends and had been drinking. His blood-alcohol level was at 0.083, just above the 0.08 legal limit.
Finley, who has been stripped of his police powers, also remains “mortified” at the tragic outcome of his reckless driving.
Charged in a deadly DUI accident, Finley is now facing a trial and the termination of his job in the Grand Crossing District.
Not only is it terrible that Finley, who is a cop, deliberately disobeyed the rules of the road, but it’s even more alarming that his off-duty activities affected his ability to drive prudently and keep the roads safe.
As a police officer, Finley should have understood how dangerous it could be to risk driving drunk. Even if his blood alcohol level was only 0.003 higher than the legal limit, clearly his actions resulted in very lethal consequences.
Finley’s tragic crash, which killed one woman and injured two other individuals, is a sobering reminder of the hazards one faces while driving impaired.
We here at Otorize hope that Finley, and others who have risked driving drunk in the past, actively monitor their impairment from now on to prevent future disasters.
The details of this story can be found in the Chicago Sun Times. Original story written by Matthew Hendrickson.
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