By Henry K. Lee
San Francisco Chronicle
OAKLAND — Five Oakland police officers were injured Monday when two patrol cars collided while chasing a stolen minivan in West Oakland, authorities said.
The crash happened shortly after 12:45 p.m. at 16th and Peralta streets as officers were chasing a stolen 2007 Kia minivan, said police spokesman Officer Jeff Thomason.
Four officers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and a fifth was treated at the scene, Thomason said.
The chase continued for a few minutes after the crash, but the minivan driver escaped.
The chase began as a large contingent of BART and Oakland police officers were monitoring a peaceful West Oakland protest over the fatal New Year’s Day shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale BART station.
Officers then spotted the minivan and confirmed that it had been reported stolen. The Oakland police helicopter monitored the car’s movements from overhead. At one point, the minivan sped past a Chronicle reporter, running stop signs as it traveled at more than 60 mph north on Peralta Street.
It was soon followed by a phalanx of police cars.
Moments later, two police cars coming from different directions collided. Other officers ran to help their injured colleagues and later removed riot gear and weapons from the crashed cars for safekeeping.
Copyright 2009 San Francisco Chronicle