Man charged with murder in fatal crash involving police
Two drug suspects accused of trying to run over police officers before striking and killing a woman in her vehicle on the South Side on Tuesday morning have been charged.
Darrell Whitlock, 37, of the 7700 block of South Ada Avenue, was charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, possession of a controlled substance and multiple traffic violations, according to police. Tyree Smith, 19, of the 8800 block of South Burley Avenue, was charged with possession of a controlled substance.
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Officers from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas unit, which includes Chicago Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents, were conducting a traffic stop on a minivan that contained two targets of a drug investigation, Perez said.
The officers got out of their undercover vehicles and announced their office, but the driver -- allegedly Whitlock -- put the minivan into reverse and attempted to run over the officers.
One of the officers, in fear for his life, fired a single shot at the minivan, but the bullet did not strike anyone, Perez said.
After ramming the officers' vehicles, the minivan headed east on 63rd Street and struck a car at 63rd and St. Lawrence, Perez said. That crash happened about 7:09 a.m., according to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford.
The car’s driver, Valerie Davis, was killed in the incident. A 42-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Davis, 42, of the 650 block of East 65th Street, was pronounced dead at 7:50 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
An autopsy Wednesday determined Davis died of multiple injuries suffered during a motor vehicle accident, according to the medical examiner’s office, which ruled the death a accident.
Following a brief pursuit after the second crash, Whitlock and Smith were taken into custody. No police officers were injured, but the suspects were claiming injuries and were taken as a precaution to Saint Bernard Hospital, Perez said.
Whitlock and Smith will appear in bond court later Thursday.