Brittany Burks had dreams of becoming a dentist and was in school at Howard University trying to accomplish that goal. Tragically, it was all taken away earlier this week.

The 27-year-old had stopped on the right shoulder of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on Monday night (June 24), when 24-year-old Darnell Bassett allegedly slammed into the back of her car while being chased by police. 

“We just devastated. She’s my only child,” Burks' mother Kim Swan told WGRZ. “We just had so much fun. She'd always say, 'Mama, when you coming back down?'”

Burks, originally from Amherst, New York, relayed her dream of becoming a dentist on Facebook and said she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

The events of Monday night reportedly began when Bassett allegedly slammed a K9 cruiser in the area and kept going. D.C. police officers followed Bassett onto I-295 before calling off the pursuit, however, the suspect continued fleeing northbound.

Investigators claim Bassett was driving north at a high rate of speed on the parkway near the ramp to the Inner Loop of I-495 and hit Burks’ Honda CR-V at around 9:15 p.m.

Burks was extricated from her vehicle but died before she could be taken to the hospital. Bassett was airlifted to a trauma center with serious injuries. Park Police claim he is now in custody.

Our condolences go out to Brittany’s family and friends.