Arrest Made In Fatal Crash That Killed Bridgeport Officer, Passenger: Police

DANBURY, CT — A Stamford woman has been arrested in connection with a head-on crash earlier this month that killed an off-duty Bridgeport police officer, Cooper Whiteside, and his passenger, according to Danbury police.

Melissa Ramirez, 27, was taken into custody Friday at about 2:10 p.m. with assistance from the Stamford and Bridgeport police departments following an investigation into the July 13 crash on Sugar Hollow Road, police said.

Ramirez was arrested on charges of two counts of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, traveling unreasonably fast and failure to drive in the proper lane, according to police.

She was being held on $500,000 bail set by the court, police said.

The crash happened at about 2:45 a.m. on July 13 on Sugar Hollow Road near the Ridgefield town line.

According to police, Bridgeport Police Officer Whiteside, 38, of Danbury, was operating a Harley-Davidson motorcycle while off duty with Brittany Islami, 34, of New Milford, riding as a passenger.

Police said the preliminary investigation found the motorcycle was traveling southbound while a Jeep Compass was traveling northbound when the vehicles collided head-on.

Whiteside and Islami were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Jeep was taken to Danbury Hospital with serious injuries, according to police.

Following a nearly two-week investigation, police announced Ramirez’s arrest Friday.

The investigation remains ongoing.