Man charged with stealing Bedford Park police squad car, USPS truck, crash in Bridgeview

COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- A man has been charged after a Bedford Park police squad car and a USPS truck were stolen, leading to a crash on Wednesday, Bridgeview police said.

Miguel Alvarado, 36, has been charged with aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of aggravated reckless driving.

A woman injured in the Bridgeview crash spoke exclusively with ABC7 about the incident.

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The incident began when police said a Bedford Park police squad car was stolen while officers were responding to a call for service around 2:45 p.m. in the 6800-block of South Archer Road.

Bedford Park police said Alvarado allegedly gained access to one of their patrol vehicles and drove away. The vehicle was later found unattended near 97th Place and Avon Avenue in Chicago Ridge.

Bridgeview police said the suspect left the Bedford Park police squad car after it became disabled. Police said he then located a U.S. Postal Service truck and forcibly stole the vehicle from a postal worker.

Following the vehicular hijacking, the suspect then drove northbound on Roberts Road before hitting a vehicle occupied by a family of three, including a mother and her children, ages 4 and 7, Bridgeview police said. The children were transported to a hospital in stable condition.

Katrine Valdez was also injured in the crash and spoke out Friday. Never did she think she would get caught in the middle of a wild car crash that expanded into multiple jurisdictions.

"At the time, I was feeling really shaken up over everything," Valdez said. "It seemed like it played out like a movie scene."

Valdez told ABC7 at the moment of the crash, she was heading to a dentist appointment.

"It was a postal van that struck me and ended up proceeding to take off and hitting two other vehicles afterwards," Valdez said. "I am feeling really sore. My hip hurts me really bad."

Valdez took video as good Samaritans got involved and helped police hold down the suspect. Multiple people were also injured, including a mother and her two children.

Anas Jaber, a manager at a nearby J Mini Mart convenience store where the crash happened, said he stepped in to help the young family.

"The mother was dazed and confused and the other kids were trapped in the car of how damaged the car was," Jaber said. "I tried to help and brought a chair for the mother."

The two children who were injured in the crash remain hospitalized.

Bridgeview police said additional charges are expected given there are multiple police agencies involved.