Police Car Collides With CTA Train During Pursuit
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A police officer suffered minor injuries when she drove an unmarked cruiser around the gates of an Albany Park train station and collided with a Brown Line train during a pursuit Friday afternoon.
The accident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. at the Kedzie station. The CTA says gates were down when the officer drove around and struck a northbound train, demolishing the police car and causing a minor derailment. Authorities said an inbound train had just passed, so the officer thought the tracks were clear. Instead, the second train, traveling at 25 mph, collided with the police car.
Chicago police said a plainclothes officer was at the wheel of the unmarked police car and in pursuit of a suspect as another officer was involved in the chase on foot.
The officer was able to exit the vehicle herself; she was taken to Illinois Masonic with non-life-threatening injuries.
A CTA worker on the train was assisted by firefighters.
Train service was temporarily halted between the Western and Kimball stations, with shuttle buses moving passengers along the northern portion of the Brown Line. Train service was restored to the entire Brown Line by evening.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bob Roberts reports
