Charges are pending, police said, after a man wanted in a homicide led Chicago police Wednesday night on a chase through the city that led to a squad car crash, leaving one woman dead and five people injured.
Police said in a statement released Thursday that the chase and crash remain under review and investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. According to preliminary reports, the chase started in Midlothian and continued into Chicago, police said.
The man, 22, "who is being investigated in connection to multiple incidents," according to police, was driving a dark-colored Jeep about 8:15 p.m. near 115th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue when officers noticed it was possibly wanted for several crimes in the nearby suburbs. They tried to curb the Jeep in the 9400 block of South Union Avenue, police said, but it took off and led police on a chase into Irving Park on the North Side.
The man crashed the Jeep near Irving Park Road and Keystone Avenue, and ran to a nearby gas station where he stole an idling 2016 Nissan SUV, police said. He left the gas station and took off east on Irving Park Road with police in pursuit.
During the chase, a Chicago police squad car struck a civilian vehicle, police said. The vehicle's sole occupant, a 37-year-old female, was taken to the hospital where she later died, according to police.
"This is a devastating loss of life and our heartfelt condolences are with all those who have been affected," police said in the statement. "We are reviewing cameras and interviewing witnesses in regards to the criminal investigation into the actions taken by the offender. The entirety of this pursuit is under review and investigation COPA."
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Three others were injured, police said, when the squad car "deflected from the initial crash and struck a second vehicle in traffic." They were taken to the hospital in fair condition. Two officers also were injured in the crash, according to reports.
The subject of the chase continued to flee police in a stolen vehicle, according to police.
The man drove the stolen Nissan back to the South Side before crashing into a pole in Bridgeport, police said. He tried to run from the scene but was taken into custody in the 800 block of West Pershing Road, and later taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition.
The Chicago Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
