Overview
- Police say the crash happened around 2:56 a.m. in the 3600-block of North Racine Avenue, about a block from Wrigley Field, after a stolen Hyundai Elantra ran a stop sign and hit a marked CPD vehicle.
- The impact shoved the squad car onto the sidewalk and into a tree, and the Hyundai then struck three parked cars as debris littered the area.
- Two officers were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, while the 18-year-old Hyundai driver was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition.
- The driver was later taken into custody, with criminal charges and traffic citations pending, and CPD’s Major Accident Investigation Unit is handling the case.
- Dispatch records indicate officers had been searching for suspects tied to an earlier reported auto break-in, and reporters noted strong winds with blowing snow at the scene.