Oak Park High School is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher killed by a drunk driver last week, as students, staff, and parents remember the lasting impact.
Oak Park Schools identified Dwayne Harvey, 59, as the teacher killed Thursday night at the intersection of 8 Mile and Coolidge. Harvey was working as an Uber driver when Oak Park police say 19-year-old Tracy Darwin Sutton ran a red light and struck his vehicle around 11 p.m. Harvey was killed in the crash. His 23-year-old passenger was ejected and left in critical condition. Sutton, who police say was allegedly under the influence at the time, was charged and given a $2 million bond.
Renee Menker, whose daughter is a sophomore at Oak Park High School, said her daughter came home raving about Harvey shortly after the first day of school in August. Less than a month later, he was tragically killed.
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"I cried at work; I was devastated," Menker said. "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
Menker said the loss hit her daughter hard. Harvey was her honors geometry teacher.
"It really affected her, she was just sad because she loved going to class and he was a great teacher," Menker said.
Harvey made a lasting impression in a short time, Menker said.
"There's a lot of good teachers. But this one, in a very short time, left maybe not a hole in her heart but a space in her heart for the rest of her life," Menker said.
Menker said Harvey's influence extended beyond the classroom.
"He was an amazing man. My daughter really doesn't have a dad, so it's nice when there's a good male figure in her life," Menker said. "Her track coach is the same. There's some amazing people at this school."
The school district says Harvey was a devoted fan of Prince and that his favorite color was purple. The district is asking all students and staff to wear purple to school this Friday in his memory.
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