A woman accused by police of driving drunk and under the influence of drugs allegedly caused a head-on crash in Connecticut that killed an off-duty police officer and his girlfriend.
Melissa Ramirez, 27, cried during a court appearance Monday as she faced manslaughter charges in the deaths of Bridgeport officer Cooper Whiteside, 38, and his partner, Brittany Islami, 34, the News-Times reported.
Ramirez, a mother of two from Mexico, was allegedly traveling 56 mph in a 45 mph zone when her vehicle struck Whiteside’s Harley-Davidson around 3 a.m. on July 13 in Danbury, throwing both Whiteside and Islami from the motorcycle.
Whiteside, who served with the Bridgeport Police Department, was found “lying in a supine position” with “significant injuries to his head, upper extremities and torso,” according to a police report reviewed by Connecticut Centinal.
Officers also wrote that “his right femur was protruding through the skin” and described a “large pool of blood” on the roadway.
The Department of Homeland Security told The Post in a statement that Ramirez was in the United States illegally.
“Melissa Esperanza Ramirez-Romero is a criminal illegal alien with charges for Vehicular Manslaughter and DUI. On July 26, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer against her,” the department said.
Islami, who was the mother of three children ages 7, 10 and 12, also suffered “significant injuries” and “had blood around her face,” police said. Investigators noted she was not wearing a helmet.
The couple died as a result of blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner.
Investigators also discovered the crash happened in the motorcycle lane, suggesting Ramirez’s Jeep had crossed lanes.
Ramirez was interrogated and told cops she had one 12-ounce Corona beer, and initially laughed when they asked her if she had taken any drugs.
She later admitted that she took cannabis on July 10, three days before the crash.
Aaron Wolen, one of the responding cops, “noticed that her eyes were watery and bloodshot and that a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from her person.”
Beer was found spilled in Ramirez’s car, and investigators found a THC vape cartridge.
Ramirez’s blood alcohol content was 0.14 – almost twice the legal limit – and she tested positive for cannabis.
She was arrested last Friday, the day of Whiteside’s funeral, and was charged with manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, traveling unreasonably fast, and failure to drive in the correct lanes.
Ramirez’s lawyer, Daniel Thibodeau, said she’s lived in Connecticut for her whole life and “lacks any type of criminal record whatsoever.”
Ramirez’s license has been suspended indefinitely, and she’s set to appear in court on Aug. 31.
