Prosecutors: Teen was high when he hit squad car, injuring cops

A 16-year-old boy without a driver’s license was high on marijuana when he crashed into an unmarked Chicago Police squad car, injuring three officers as well as three of his friends, Cook County prosecutors said.

Two of the officers suffered serious injuries from the West Side wreck Rashaad Paris caused on Tuesday night in the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Lavergne Avenue, Assistant State’s Attorney Kim Przekota said.

One of the officers who walked out the squad car and collapsed on the scene, suffered a cardiac contusion, blunt head trauma, a concussion and a pelvic fracture, authorities said.

He suffered amnesia because of traumatic brain injury, Przekota said.

Another officer was found by emergency workers unconscious inside the police vehicle; he had lung contusions, a broken neck, a fractured spinal stem, six fractured ribs and a laceration to the spleen, Przekota said.

The third officer suffered a dislocated shoulder and lacerations to the face, Przekota said.

One of Paris’ passengers also suffered a pelvic fracture, bilateral hip fracture, broken femur and a fractured pubic bone, Przekota said.

Another suffered lacerations to the face.

The third passenger suffered blunt head trauma but left the hospital against the advice of doctors, according to a police report.

And Paris tried to flee but was pinned inside the car, police said.

Paris was smoking marijuana with two other people, ages 22 and 23, while he was driving the white Chevrolet Impala, Przekota said.

The group picked up a third passenger, age 23, at the Madison Street and Cicero Avenue, Przekota said.

Officers saw sparks from a dragging muffler on Paris’ car and pulled him for over a routine traffic stop, Przekota said.

Paris pulled over, but when officers got out of their car, he sped away.

One woman inside the Chevrolet was screaming “let me out, let me out” as a squad car followed, authorities said. She opened a rear passenger door and tried to get out, prosecutors said.

She was seen sticking her head out of the window and calling for help before she was pulled back inside, leading police officers to believe she was being abducted, Przekota said.

All of Paris’ friends told him to stop, but he continued, speeding through a red light at Washington Boulevard and Laramie Avenue, Przekota said.

The unmarked car Paris hit was responding to the report of a possible abduction but had not been chasing him, Przekota said.

Paris, of the 6100 block of Evans Avenue, allegedly admitted he had been smoking marijuana before the crash. He tested positive for marijuana, Przekota said.

Police found one gram of marijuana in the car and 33 pills of a possible controlled substance, the police report said.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil reminded Paris that six people were injured because of his “poor decisions” before setting bail at $250,000 on Thursday.

Paris has been charged as an adult for aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm.

He was also issued several traffic citations. In 2013, the teen also had been found delinquent as a juvenile in weapons and disorderly conduct cases.