Palatine police await probe of squad crash

Palatine police will soon learn the findings of a probe into last weekend's collision between a squad car and a pedestrian.

A department liaison learned Friday that Arlington Heights police, who are handling the investigation into the crash, will be ready to meet sometime next week to discuss their findings, said Palatine Deputy Police Chief Alan Stoeckel.

"We don't have any idea what the results of the investigation are," Stoeckel said.

Palatine police said the squad car was responding to a 911 call with its emergency lights on around 3:30 a.m. Saturday when a 21-year-old man ran onto Dundee Road just east of Rand Road and "struck the side of the police vehicle."

The pedestrian had multiple injuries and was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he reportedly remains.

The officer driving the squad car wasn't injured. He took a few days off after the crash and will resume normal job duties when he returns, Stoeckel said.

Because a Palatine officer was involved, an outside agency was called in to conduct the traffic reconstruction investigation. Friday, Arlington Heights police Cmdr. Ken Galinski said his department would only release its findings to Palatine police - not to the public - and didn't say whether the probe is complete.