The Jeep crashed into a utility pole. The officer suffered minor injuries, officials said.

Webb said he was aware of at least two witnesses who disputed that the officer was dragged.

The dead woman's husband, Gary Cook, told TV reporters earlier that the Jeep did not have power windows.

Town Manager Kim Alexander said the officer's name was withheld because of a policy not to name people under investigation before an arrest or charges.

Michelle Moulton, a close friend and classmate of Cook at Alton High School in the mid-1970s, called her "a real sweet, well-rounded person" with a great sense of humor.

Moulton, of Brighton, said Cook had worked as a cosmetologist for many years and operated a beauty shop in Alton for several years. She said Cook had been active in the former 12th Street Presbyterian Church in Alton.

A first cousin, Carol Hailer, of Alton, said Cook "was a funny, happy kid and a happy-go-lucky, hard worker as an adult."

"I have never known anything about her that would explain this," Hailer said. "We just want to know what happened."