9 injured after Blue Island police chase leads to crash with Pace bus in Chicago: officials

BLUE ISLAND, Ill. (WLS) -- Nine people, including a child, were injured after a south suburban police pursuit led to crash involving a Pace bus and three other vehicles on Chicago's Far South Side.

The crash happened Wednesday night near South Halsted Street and West Vermont Street in West Pullman, Chicago police said.

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Officers from the Blue Island Police Department were attempting to a stop a vehicle that alleged blew a red light when the vehicle fled and the officers pursued, a Blue Island spokesperson said.

The vehicle crashed into a Pace bus, and two other vehicle were also involved in the crash, police said.

Chicago police said the SUV was being driven by a 31-year-old man and had two passengers, a 34-year-old man and a 26-year-old man.

Police said nine people were transported to hospitals.

The Blue Island police officer involved in was placed on paid leave, per standard procedures.

The 31-year-old SUV driver and the 34-year-old passenger were transported to Advocate Christ Hospital in critical condition and the other passenger in the vehicle was transported to Advocate Christ Hospital in good condition.

A 27-year-old woman driving a sedan was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition and a six-year-old boy who was a passenger was transported to Comer Children's Hospital in good condition, police said.

Three passengers on the bus, a 32-year-old woman, a 62-year-old woman and a 66-year-old woman, were transported to Roseland Hospital in good condition and a fourth passenger, a 46-year-old woman, was transported to Little Company of Mary Hospital in good condition.

"It must've been something bad for them to be driving that fast down a residential street, coming on to traffic," witness Angelo Townsend said. "I knew it was going to be catastrophic.. I saw one get ejected from the black Jeep out the front window."

Debris was scattered across Vermont and Halsted where witnesses said a black Jeep collided with three other vehicles including this Pace bus as officers with the Blue Island Police Department were in pursuit.

"The PACE bus had the green light. She was in the right," witness Ora Lee Staten said. "Next thing you know, we got this black Jeep... car spun out."

ABC7 saw as a Pace passenger was loaded up in this ambulance and taken to the hospital.

In another car, witnesses say, was a family who had children with them.

"It ain't that serious. I don't care what kind of crime you've done. It ain't that serious to kill somebody else or kill yourself. Stop," witness Keno Nowling said.

There was no word of any arrests.

No further information was immediately available as police continue to investigate.