The off-duty Chicago police officer charged in a lethal DUI accident over the weekend was rushing between 73 to 75 mph earlier than he slammed right into a South Side restaurant, killing a 35-year-old girl inside, Cook County prosecutors stated Tuesday.
Marquita N. Reed, 35, was ready for her meals to be ready at Tony’s Philly Steak restaurant early Sunday morning when Terrance Finley allegedly swerved his Toyota Corolla to keep away from a automotive that was delivering entrance of him, jumped the southeast curb at 80th and Wood, and crashed into the enterprise.
Customers contained in the restaurant described the crash “as if a bomb went off,” Assistant States Attorney James Murphy stated throughout 24-year-old Finley’s bond listening to. Reed was pinned beneath the car and later died. Two others had been struck by Finley’s Corolla and had been injured.
Finley was ordered held in lieu of $40,000 bail. Defense legal professional Tim Grace stated he anticipated Finley to publish bond and be launched later Tuesday.
Fraternal Order of Police Attorney Tim Grace speaks with media after the preliminary listening to for 24-year-old Chicago police Officer Terrance Finley on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 on the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Matthew Hendrickson/Sun-Times
Just earlier than the two:40 a.m. crash, Finley was attending a party with associates close to 80th and Troy streets the place he had been consuming, Murphy stated. Blood drawn whereas Finley was being handled at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn confirmed he had a blood alcohol degree of 0.083 — simply barely over the 0.08 authorized restrict.
Murphy informed the Chicago Sun-Times that Finley’s blood was drawn “soon after” the crash and that Finley was taken on to the hospital.
Terrance FinleyChicago police
It wasn’t the primary time Finley was caught rushing, Murphy stated. Since turning into a police officer in 2017, Finley has acquired tickets for texting whereas driving and rushing. In the rushing case, for which Finley acquired supervision final yr, he was driving 49 mph in a 25-mph zone, Murphy stated.
Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. known as the crash “a tragedy on both sides.”
Grace, an legal professional for the Fraternal Order of Police, stated Finley graduated from Western Illinois University, the place he ran observe. Finley’s mom works as an ophthalmologist and his father is a surgical nurse, Grace stated.
Grace informed reporters Finley — who has been stripped of his police powers — is nicely preferred by his colleagues and works within the Grand Crossing District. Finley he could be allowed to retain his license to personal a gun whereas the case continues, Lyke stated.
Grace stated Finley was “mortified” and “didn’t become a police officer to take a life,” his legal professional Tim Grace stated.
Prosecutors didn’t say whether or not police have situated the car that had turned in entrance of Finley’s automotive earlier than the crash. Grace stated he additionally didn’t know if police had discovered the automotive.
The restaurant’s ready space had been packed simply two minutes earlier than the crash.
“Two minutes before the crash, there were about 12 customers in there, then most of them left, including a group of about six,” Tawfik Damra, proprietor of Tony’s Philly Steak, 1757 W. 87th St., informed the Chicago Sun-Times Monday.
“Thank God they were out of the store,” stated Damra, who reviewed safety footage of the crash that he shared with police.
Finley was scheduled to return to courtroom on July 3.