Four women injured in three-way traffic crash on Near North Side

Four women were injured Sunday morning in a three-way traffic crash on the Near North Side.

A man driving a gray Ford Explorer was traveling in the 600 block of North Orleans Street about 2:30 a.m. when he struck a Honda sedan going west, causing the sedan to collide with another car stopped at a red light, Chicago police said.

Two women in the sedan were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with body injuries, police said. They were both listed in fair condition, officials said.

The woman stopped at the red light suffered minor injuries and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition, police said.

A woman who was a passenger in the Explorer also suffered minor injuries and was taken to Northwestern, where she was in good condition, authorities said. The driver of the Explorer declined medical treatment.

The women’s ages weren’t immediately known.

No further injuries were reported.

Several hours earlier, a Chicago police sergeant and a 5-year-old girl were among four people injured by a driver fleeing a traffic stop less than a mile east.

About 8 p.m., the girl and others were crossing Grand Avenue at State Street when the driver of a red Hyundai swerved into them after taking off from the traffic stop, police said.

The girl was taken to Lurie Children’s Hospital in fair condition, according to fire officials. A 38-year-old woman and another woman whose age wasn’t immediately known were taken to Northwestern in good condition.

The sergeant was struck when the driver put the Hyundai in gear and drove away after being asked to step out of his car, police said. The officer was taken to a hospital with injuries that weren’t believed to be life-threatening.

The driver was still being sought by police.