2 arrested after crashing stolen Robbins police car on Bishop Ford

ROBBINS, Ill. - Two people were arrested after a crash involving a stolen Robbins police car Wednesday on the Bishop Ford Freeway on the South Side.

The stolen squad car was involved in a crash at 1:03 p.m. on northbound I-94 near 111th Street, according to Illinois State Police and Robbins spokesman Sean Howard.

Responding troopers found two minor girls at the scene and they were taken to Roseland Community Hospital with minor injuries, state police said. Howard said they are in police custody at the hospital.

Witnesses told investigators a third person may have run away from the scene after the crash, but those reports have not been confirmed and no third person has been located.

No other injuries were reported, authorities said. Howard said the stolen squad car had rear-ended another vehicle, while state police said the incident was a single-vehicle crash.

The squad car was secured at the crash scene, Howard said. The extent of the damage was not clear, but he described the crash as a “minor fender-bender.”

A Robbins police officer left the unmarked silver 2000 Chevrolet Impala running about 10:45 a.m. while he ran in to buy lunch at the restaurant at 14601 S. Pulaski Road, according to Howard. While the officer was inside, two females got in and drove off.

Howard said it is “pretty standard” procedure for officers to leave vehicles running while entering an establishment to buy food in case they need to quickly return to the vehicle and drive away in the event of an emergency.

Investigators do not believe the suspects were aware they were taking a police car, according to Howard. He said the car is “totally unmarked” and has no lights, siren, police computer, weapons or badge inside.

“There’s nothing inside the car that would indicate that it’s a police vehicle,” Howard said.

The theft was recorded on security cameras at the McDonald’s and police are reviewing the video, Howard said.