Chicago crash: 2 in custody after stolen car crashes on SW Side; CPD officer injured, police say

Evelyn Holmes Image
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
2 in custody after stolen car crashes on SW Side; officer injured: CPD
A Chicago police officer was injured Wednesday after a stolen car crashed on Cermak in Pilsen, CPD said.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A stolen car crashed on the city's Southwest Side Wednesday, and a Chicago police officer suffered a minor injury.

Two men remain in custody after crashing a stolen vehicle police say may have been taken during a carjacking on the city's Southwest Side Tuesday.

It's unclear if the two suspects were responsible for Tuesday's carjacking of a Ford Escort at 48th Street and Kostner Avenue.

Officers were alerted about the vehicle when its license plate pinged a license plate reader along 35th Street.

Details about what happened next are not completely confirmed, but police officials say it was as the driver of the stolen car traveled in the 900-block of West Cermak Road that the vehicle hit a building, becoming wedged between a light pole and the structure.

The driver managed to free the vehicle and traveled for another block before abandoning the vehicle.

SEE MORE: City Council unanimously confirms Larry Snelling as Chicago police superintendent

Arriving police officers managed to take both men into custody.

When made aware of the incident, newly confirmed Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling did not confirm if it was the result of a police pursuit.

"Sometimes if we have someone we're pursuing, and they're reckless, and the officer knows that there's a possibility that this person could crash into someone, take someone else's life, that officer makes that decision by weighing the balancing test, you know, is the risk to the public at that time worth attempting to stop this individual?" he said.

Chicago police said an officer suffered a leg injury, a pulled muscle, possibly during the apprehension of the suspects.

He was taken to an area hospital in good condition.

Area One detectives are continuing their investigation.

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