Teen Struck and Dragged By Car In Galewood Dies

By Anna Deem in News on Jun 13, 2010 5:45PM

On Monday, Nakella Harper, 18, was due to start her first day at Triton Community College in River Grove, but her life was unfortunately cut short when she was hit by a car and dragged late Saturday in the Galewood neighborhood. Harper, of the 1000 block of Cernan Drive in Bellwood, was pronounced dead at 11:44 p.m. on Saturday at the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

"She was a very lively child," said her cousin Antoinette Harper-Evans to the Chicago Tribune. Harped recently graduated from Proviso West High School in Hillside, where she had been a member of the cheerleading team, as well as participated in track and swimming. "She was full of school spirit," Harper-Evans said. "She was very sociable and had a lot of friends."

Police received an emergency call at 10:50 p.m. about a battery in progress in the 1700 block of North Neva Avenue. Officers found Harper pinned underneath a four-door Dodge, according to Police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez. Harper had been attending a graduation party when a gang-related fight broke out, Grand Central Area police said. She tried to run away, but tripped in the street, and was hit by another teenager's car and dragged 30-40 feet, police said. The driver of the car is in custody and no charges have been filed. The incident is being investigated by the Major Accident Investigation Unit.