Police Cruiser

Four people, including two police officers, were injured last night when a police cruiser was struck by another vehicle on an East Baltimore street. The cruiser turned over, trapping a police trainee, his training officer and two pedestrians. Initial reports said an Eastern District police trainee was driving a police car in the 2400 block of Llwelyn Ave. at North Montford Avenue about 11:15 p.m. when his cruiser was struck by a car being pursued by another police cruiser. Police said a pregnant woman and a child were struck by the car as it overturned and were trapped along with the officers.

A state police car traveling with flashing lights and sirens struck another vehicle in east Columbia last night, causing minor injuries to a police officer and another motorist and slowing traffic at one of Howard County's busiest intersections.Trooper Jimmy Backus Jr., 25, was taken to Howard County General Hospital, where he was treated and released. The other motorist, Rebecca Margarete Kardos, 22, was taken to Columbia Medical Plan, said Lt. Scott Neugenthaler, commander of the state police barracks in Waterloo.

A Lutherville man driving with a revoked license was arrested yesterday after a high speed chase that started in West Virginia when a motorist allegedly tried to run over two deputy sheriffs there and ended in Frederick County after the fleeing driver rammed a police cruiser.Cpl. Tom Winebrenner of the Frederick County Sheriff's department said his office received a call from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department in West Virginia that a possible drunken driver in a sports utility vehicle had tried to run down two deputy sheriffs -- who were on foot -- before driving north into Maryland.

A man suspected of robbing a Perry Hall bank was arrested yesterday after his car was pursued by police into Baltimore and rammed a police cruiser, authorities said. The robbery occurred about 1:30 p.m. at Susquehanna Bank in the 4200 block of Ebenezer Road when a man who said he was armed took an undisclosed sum of money and drove toward the city, county police said. Moments later, the apparent getaway car was seen westbound on Pulaski Highway and several county officers took up pursuit.

A city police officer was taken to Mercy Medical Center after his police cruiser was rear-ended by another vehicle on the southbound Jones Falls Expressway late Monday afternoon, according to a police spokesman. The officer was on the side of the roadway near West 29th Street writing a report on a separate accident when his cruiser was struck, said Sgt. Anthony Smith. The officer did not have apparent injuries, but was taken to the hospital to be checked by medical personnel as a precaution, Smith said.

A Joppa man was charged yesterday after allegedly driving through a construction barrier on I-95, injuring a state trooper and striking two other vehicles, state police said. Police said Charles R. Clark, of the 500 block of Shore Drive, was driving his 1995 Ford Escort Thursday evening when he struck several construction barriers on I-95 and hit the driver's side of a parked Maryland state police cruiser. 1st Sgt. Avon B. Mack, 43, who was inside the car, suffered minor injuries. Police said Clark then drove outside the construction area and struck two other cars traveling the interstate before fleeing.

A machine gun and rifle stolen three months ago from a Montgomery County police officer's unmarked car were recovered yesterday during an early morning police drug raid in Laurel, police reported.Laurel police raided a residence on Fourth Street at about 1:30 a.m., executing a narcotics search warrant.The officers then found a police-issue 9mm machine gun and a Remington .308-caliber rifle and scope that had been stolen earlier from the officer's car in Gaithersburg, according to police reports.

A Baltimore County police officer was injured in a two-crash Friday afternoon, officials said, though they expect him to be fine. The Woodlawn officer hurt in an accident at Ingleside Avenue and Johnnycake Road around 4:30 p.m. was driving a police cruiser, Baltimore County Police said. The officer pulled out of a parking lot and tried to make a left-hand turn onto Ingleside Avenue and was hit by an oncoming car. The officer was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center by ground ambulance as a precaution.

An Anne Arundel County police officer was injured when his cruiser overturned on Route 100 in Pasadena amid intermittent rain showers Wednesday night, according to a county Fire Department spokesman. Emergency personnel responded to the westbound side of the highway near Catherine Avenue at 8:56 p.m. for an overturned police cruiser, said Lt. Keith Hamilton, the spokesman. The officer who was driving the cruiser was transported to Baltimore Washington Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, Hamilton said.