The Brief
- Family questions search efforts: Ralphelle Howard’s family is demanding answers after friends found her body in the Little Calumet River in less than a minute after official search efforts were paused.
- Loved ones conducted their own search: Three people who grew up with Howard entered the murky water themselves and found her near the submerged SUV, raising questions about why crews did not locate her.
- Calls for safety improvements: The family says a damaged guardrail should have been repaired and is urging the city to add railings, barricades, lighting and signs to help prevent future crashes.
CHICAGO – The family of 26-year-old Ralphelle Howard is demanding answers after she went missing following an SUV crash into the Little Calumet River and three people who grew up with her later found her body themselves in less than a minute.
Family finds missing woman
The backstory:
Howard was one of five people inside a Chevrolet Trailblazer that crashed into the river Tuesday morning near 130th Street and South Indiana Avenue.
A 24-year-old man was pulled from the water and later died at a hospital. Two other women who were inside the SUV were able to swim to shore, according to Howard’s family.…