5 people injured in accident when Seattle police officer loses control of cruiser

SEATTLE -- Five people were injured, including a police officer, when a Seattle patrol car speeding to an emergency went out of control Monday night, crossed the lanes, crashed into a telephone pole and was hit by a car being driven by a woman and containing three young female passengers and baby boy, police said.

The police officer, the woman and the three girls were taken to Harborview Medical Center but were expected to be OK, Fire Department officials said. The 1-year-old boy, uninjured, was taken home by his father.



The police officer was temporarily trapped in his car and had to be cut out of the cruiser.

Firefighters transported the female driver, who appeared to have a shoulder injury, and two 8-year-old girls and a 9-year-old girl to Harborview with scrapes, the Fire Department said.

The police officer also appeared to have a shoulder injury, the Fire Department said.

The accident occurred at Highland Park Way Southwest and West Marginal Way South.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.