Bike cop injured when wheel drops into unmarked pothole

by CWB Chicago, July 9, 2019

The pothole is seen after the barrel and bollard were briefly removed on Tuesday. | Provided

A Chicago police officer was injured Monday night when his patrol bike struck a large, unmarked pothole near Boystown, a department spokesperson said.

The officer’s bicycle unit was traveling westbound on the 600 block of West Addison when his front tire fell into a long, narrow pothole around 11:15 p.m.  Police said the officer was thrown from the bike and received unspecified injuries. He was in good condition at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. His bike was heavily damaged.

City workers had covered the pothole with a barrel and a traffic bollard by mid-morning on Tuesday. An officer at the scene shortly after the incident said the pothole was a foot wide, more than three feet long, and up to three feet deep.

A department spokesperson was not immediately able to provide the officer's age.

---