Harrow family mourns 19-year-old woman

A family is mourning a 19-year-old woman after she was hit by an OPP cruiser. CTV Windsor’s Travis Fortnum shares more.

A young Harrow woman who was struck and killed by an OPP cruiser over the weekend has been identified as Mendy Goossen by her family.

Alex Goossen, Mendy’s brother, confirmed to CTV News Windsor that she was the individual struck early Sunday morning on County Road 20.

Mendy, the baby sister of the family, is being remembered as a quiet teen who also had a good sense of humour.

“She had a good amount of sass, which you kind of have to have with three older brothers,” Alex said in an interview on Monday afternoon.

Adopted at 4, Mendy was born in Ethiopia but spent much of her childhood in Harrow.

Mendy loved bookshops, coffee shops, and the art scene, according to Alex. The 19-year-old was often drawing and aspired to use her artistic talent for a career in the film industry.

“She wanted to get into editing, directing, all that kind of stuff. The stuff that takes a lot of creativity to do,” said Alex, sitting beside his brothers.

“I think her imagination started flowing when she started drawing… Creativity oozed out of her.”

The family is holding a funeral for Mendy at Harrow Baptist Church on Friday, Nov. 7, with a visitation starting at 9:00 a.m. and the funeral at 11:00 a.m. The Goossens said all are welcome.

Essex County OPP report at approximately 4:25 a.m. on Sunday, a member from the Essex County Detachment of the OPP was involved in a collision involving a pedestrian on near Iler Road in Harrow, in the Town of Essex.

As a result, the SIU has invoked its mandate and OPP is not be able to provide any further information.

A SIU spokesperson said the pedestrian was transported to hospital by EMS where she was pronounced deceased and “the officer did not appear to be en route to a call for service.”

Two investigators, two forensic investigators, and one collision reconstructionist have been assigned to the case.

The SIU is an independent authority responsible for investigating the conduct of officials, such as police, that resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or the discharge of a weapon at another person.