Ill. Trooper Seriously Injured in Crash During Chase

An Illinois State Police trooper was seriously injured when he lost control of his cruiser and crashed into a tree during a chase in Chicago early Wednesday.

The chase began shortly before midnight Tuesday after a trooper in a K-9 spotted a Volkswagen Golf that had been stolen in an earlier carjacking, WLS-TV reports. The trooper began pursuing the vehicle as the driver tried to flee.

During the chase, the trooper lost control of his SUV on the wet roadway. His patrol unit jumped a curb, barreled across a berm and slammed into a tree. The suspect also crashed during the pursuit, running into a pole.

Both vehicles suffered significant damage in the incident.

The trooper was taken to the hospital in serious condition, and he was in stable condition later in the morning. A K-9 in the cruiser appeared to be uninjured but was taken to an emergency veterinarian as a precaution.

Two suspects in the Volkswagen also were taken to the hospital. One was in serious condition, and the other was in good condition.