Highland Park reserve officer investigated for crash that shut down QLine

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A reserve officer from Highland Park is under investigation after she was involved in a crash that shut down the QLine.

Was she chasing another car while off duty and in her personal vehicle?

Highland Park police say Reserve Chaplain Maleka Williams was the victim of a hit and run driver. Police say a red Ford Explorer side-swiped the off-duty reserve officer in her Dodge Journey at Woodward and Glendale in Highland Park Tuesday morning.

"This car hit her and kept going and fled the scene," said Officer Chris Zuellig.

Then two miles south at Woodward near Grand Boulevard the Explorer lost control, crossed the median and hit a sign that hit the QLine's electrical box, shutting down the QLine for a couple of hours.

"It appears there was a medical emergency," Zuellig said. "She ended up crashing right here, the QLine. She's been transported to the hospital for evaluation."

The driver of the red Explorer was loaded into an ambulance and the reserve officer checked by paramedics but she's okay. Here's where it gets tricky - some allege the reserve officer started chasing the Explorer after she was sideswiped.

"Our policy is we do not pursue for accidents," Zuellig said. "We do not pursue in personal vehicles off duty - that's against the law and that's a departmental issue - we do not do that."

But did she do that and how did both drivers end up in the same location if one wasn't following the other?

Investigators are gathering video and taking statements from all involved - including the two people from the youth program in the car with the off-duty reserve officer when it all happened.

"She had two, an 18 and 19-year-old in the vehicle with her," said Lt. Jamille Edwards, Highland Park police. 

FOX 2: "From the youth program?"

"Right," Edwards said. "So they were adults."

Michigan State Police are handling the investigation, as for the new QLine - it wasn't shut down for long.

There was some damage to the electrical box for the QLine, fortunately we are told everything inside is okay.

In the meantime police are reminding drivers - to be careful.

"Woodward's busy," Zuellig said. "If you do get involved in an accident get all of the information you can get - description, plate, direction of travel and let the police handle it, we'll do our job," Zuellig said.