Icy conditions caused Far South Side crash that injured cop: police

An on-duty Chicago police officer was injured in a crash Tuesday afternoon after losing control of his vehicle on an icy roadway on the Far South Side.

The officer, a 39-year-old man, was driving south about 1:40 p.m. in the 10600 block of South Woodlawn when his vehicle slid on a patch of ice, according to Chicago police and Chicago Fire Media Affairs. The vehicle then careened into the northbound lanes of traffic and crashed into a light pole, wedging the officer inside.

Two onlookers unsuccessfully tried to help the officer before emergency crews arrived to pull him from the vehicle, authorities said. Both were injured during the attempted rescue.

The officer was taken to Christ Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, authorities said. No one else was in the vehicle with him.

One of the witnesses was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition after suffering an injured wrist, Fire Media Affairs said. The other Good Samaritan refused medical treatment at the scene of the crash.