Passenger killed, 2 injured in violent crash on South Side overnight when car was attempting to flee police

CHICAGO — A passenger was ejected from a car and killed in a violent crash overnight on the city’s South Side after police say the car was attempting to flee officers at a high rate of speed when it collided with an SUV at an intersection.

Additionally, Chicago police say the driver of the car and the driver of the SUV were injured.

In a preliminary statement released Tuesday morning, police say just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, officers on the Priority Response Team were on patrol, with a focus on robberies occurring in the area of the 5500 block of South Pulaski Road. They observed two individuals, believed to be armed, entering a black Lexus sedan.

According to Chicago police, when officers attempted to investigate, the sedan fled at a high rate of speed, and officers pursued it. The sedan continued to the 3500 block of South Ashland Avenue, where the driver entered the intersection, collided with an SUV and crashed into a building.

Police say the passenger in the sedan was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver sustained a leg injury and was taken to an area hospital in stable condition.

Police also say two weapons were recovered at the scene.

The driver of the SUV sustained minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital. No officers were injured in the incident.

The building that the fleeing sedan crashed into, meanwhile, sustained heavy damage.

The intersection where the crash occurred was blocked off Tuesday morning as police investigated. According to police, the specifics of the incident are being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, with the full cooperation of the Chicago Police Department.

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