Drugs and Alcohol Played Role in Teen’s Fatal Chicago Crash

Marquis Harrison, a 16 year-old honors student at Urban Prep Charter Academy, left a party around 6 a.m. on July 11 allegedly high on ecstasy, marijuana, and vodka. Harrison noticed that the driver of a Range Rover went to pay the parking meter in Old Town and seized the opportunity. He proceeded to steal the vehicle.

Police noticed the car running a red light and attempted to pull it over. At the traffic stop, Harrison allegedly backed into the officer’s patrol vehicle almost hitting two other officers and then led the police on a chase. He ran another stoplight where he crashed into a car, resulting in the death of the driver, Marciea Adkins, 42. Adkins was on her way home from work as a Chicago police dispatcher. Her husband is a Fire Department dispatcher and the two have an 8 year-old daughter.

Harrison was arrested a couple blocks from the scene. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where tests showed his BAC at .186. This is not Harrison’s first run-in with the law. He was caught twice at 13 in a stolen car and placed on juvenile probation. He had a grade-point average of 3.79 after his freshman year and led his football team to an undefeated conference record, even earning rookie of the year.

Harrison was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and burglary and bond was set at $1 million.

The Office of Emergency Management and Communication set up a memorial fund for the family at Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union. Anyone interested in donating should call 312-726-8814.

Prosecutors: Teen in crash that killed police dispatcher was drunk and high on drugs, www.chicagotribune.com, July 12, 2011