An off-duty Chicago cop struck and killed a woman early Thursday after becoming distracted because of her phone and veering onto a sidewalk near the House of Blues in River North, according to a police report and sources.
The 40-year-old officer was driving an Infiniti SUV in the 300 block of North State Street about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. She told officers that she had dropped her phone and had taken her eyes off the road to grab it, the report said.
When she looked up, the driver said, she feared she was going to hit a median and lost control as she turned the other way, according to the report. She crashed into two Texas women, a 37-year-old and 56-year-old Maria Schwab.
They were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Schwab was pronounced dead. An examination determined Schwab died of multiple injuries from the wreck and her death was ruled an accident, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The younger woman was treated for bruises on her knees and a cut on her hand.
Schwab was on a work outing with Amplify, an educational technology and publishing company, a company spokesperson said.
“This day has been very challenging for everybody,” Amplify spokesperson Kristine Frech told the Sun-Times. “We are deeply saddened and grieving for this sudden loss.”
“All our colleagues are going to do anything in our power to support the family and our colleagues as we process this tragedy,” said Frech, who wasn’t on the outing.
Law enforcement sources identified the driver as a police officer. The report shows responding officers didn’t offer her a blood-alcohol test at the scene.
The driver was cited for negligent driving, driving while using a cellphone, failing to reduce her speed and failing to stay in her lane.
She was relieved of her police powers Thursday, according to a Chicago police spokesperson, who said an investigation is ongoing. The driver didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.
Contributing: Frank Main
