Illegal immigrant driver charged with manslaughter after drunken crash kills off-duty officer and partner

A court appearance on Monday saw 27-year-old Melissa Ramirez, an undocumented Mexican mother of two, charged with manslaughter for a July 13 crash in Danbury that killed off-duty Bridgeport police officer Cooper Whiteside, 38, and his 34-year-old girlfriend Brittany Islami. Police say Ramirez was traveling 56 mph in a 45-mph zone and collided head-on with Whiteside’s Harley-Davidson, causing the officer to be found prone with major head, arm, torso injuries and a femur protruding through the skin, while Islami, not wearing a helmet, suffered fatal blunt-force injuries.

A post-mortem confirmed both deaths, and investigators documented spilled beer, a strong alcohol odor, and a THC vape cartridge in Ramirez’s vehicle; her blood alcohol was 0.14 and she tested positive for cannabis. The Department of Homeland Security labeled her a “criminal illegal alien” and ICE lodged a detainer on July 26. Ramirez now faces charges of vehicular manslaughter, DUI, excessive speed, lane violation, and has had her driver’s license suspended indefinitely, with a next court date set for August 31.