An Oak Forest police officer died after his squad car was struck at an intersection while he was on his way to a call, authorities said.
Officer James Morrissy, 62, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center at 8:02 p.m. Monday, nearly six hours after the crash at 160th Street and Cicero Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office said.
"Officer Morrissy was responding to assist another officer on a domestic situation and was attempting to turn left off of 160th Street onto Cicero Avenue when another vehicle traveling south on Cicero Avenue struck the squad car in the driver's side," according to a statement from the Oak Forest police department.
Morrissy was pinned in the car and had to be extricated. The driver of the other vehicle had minor injuries.
"We at the Oak Forest Police Department are proud to have served with Jim. It is difficult to express our feelings for him. He was extremely dedicated and died while responding to assist another officer," Oak Forest Police Chief Gregory Anderson said in the statement, released early Tuesday morning.
"Jim was an active field training officer with our department and was so well respected that he was always the first officer assigned to work with our new recruits. Jim will be missed and our condolences go out to his family,” he added.
Morrissy was married and had three sons.
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