Ralphelle Howard, 26, was found dead Wednesday, a day after an SUV carrying five people crashed into the Little Calumet River on Chicago’s Far South Side, according to her family. The crash killed 24-year-old Trumayne Sanders and left Howard missing for nearly two days. Her father says her body was ultimately found by community members — identified by family and friends as Jay Coo and Choppa Goozman — after official search efforts did not locate her.
A Chicago family’s worst fears were confirmed Wednesday when the body of 26-year-old Ralphelle Howard was found, more than a day after the SUV she was riding in plunged into the Little Calumet River on the city’s Far South Side.
What Happened
The crash occurred around 2:31 a.m. Tuesday in the 13000 block of South Indiana Avenue in West Pullman. Police say the SUV, carrying five adults, was speeding when the driver lost control, struck a barrier, and went into the river.
Three of the five occupants were able to swim to safety on their own. Chicago Police Marine Unit divers rescued a fourth occupant, 24-year-old Trumayne Sanders, from the water and rushed him to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Sanders is listed in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s ledger under case number ME2026-04811, with his cause and manner of death still pending as of Wednesday.
Howard, the fifth occupant, remained missing in the water as searches continued.
The Search for Ralphelle Howard
Authorities searched the river for a second day Wednesday but reported no findings. According to Howard’s father, who spoke with CBS News Chicago, her body was ultimately found on the riverbank, roughly half a block from where crews had recovered the submerged SUV.
Family and friends involved in the search credited two community members, identified as Jay Coo and Choppa Goozman, with finding Howard when official search efforts had not. According to posts shared by people close to the search, the pair went into the river themselves and located her, with Coo credited with finding her and Goozman helping to pull her from the water. Supporters online have referred to the two as “hood heroes,” saying they accomplished what official water rescue teams had not been able to do, and have called for them to be publicly recognized for their efforts.
As of this report, neither the Chicago Police Department nor fire officials had responded to requests for comment on the circumstances of the recovery.
The Investigation
The 24-year-old driver of the SUV — who has not been publicly named — was cited for failure to reduce speed following the crash. Two other women in the vehicle were not injured.
Residents of the West Pullman neighborhood say this wasn’t an isolated incident at the intersection. “I’ve been living over here for 13 years, and this has happened several other times,” resident Albert Miller said. “They need to put more signs, so people can be aware of the turn and be cautious.”
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
