Oak Park Newspaper

© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photos

Late Afternoon on Friday a Police Car Traveling at a High Speed Crashes

The patrol car had been traveling at a high rate of speed east bound on Madison street, in pursuit of a bicycle thief. It has been confirmed by police sources that in an attempt to avoid a collision with another vehicle, the patrol officer jumped the curb and struck a parkway tree.

The officer was taken to the hospital, but we are told as a precaution and hopefully in good shape (it has now been confirmed that the driver suffered no serious injuries). Neighbors told us that they had heard from patrolman on the scene that the accident occurred while the officer was pursuing a bicycle thief. One neighbor was pushing his two children in their stroller just before the accident occurred and other neighbors were upset by a high rate of speed that they had witnessed, and others had heard about.

Father and children look at what could have been where they might have been.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

We are not releasing the drivers name, the department is already embarrassed by the event and the driver is lucky to be safe. We will note though that another person was almost hit by policeman driving at a high rate of speed at about noon on the following day, traveling down North Blvd. east bound with lights and sirens on. The intersection was Kenilworth and North Blvd.

Radios are very fast and if police are spread out throughout the Village they should be able to arrive at a violent situation in a short time, and if its a bicycle thief-slow down.