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Cop car crashes taking shooting victim to hospital in North Philadelphia

A police cruiser transporting a shooting victim to a hospital with its lights and sirens on was involved in a crash overnight with two other cars, both operated by drivers without licenses, police said.

Two officers and people in the other vehicles suffered non-life threatening injuries. The 24-year-old male shooting victim was later reported in stable condition with three bullet wounds to the legs.

The crash involving the cruiser, a Lexus and a Chevrolet Camaro happened at about 3 a.m. at the intersection of North 25th Street and West Lehigh Avenue as the officers were en route to Temple University Hospital with the shooting victim, police said.

The crash happened when a 1993 Lexus ES 300 traveling north on 25th Street struck the police cruiser, which was traveling east on Lehigh Avenue, police said.

The cars then hit a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro that was stopped for a red light at the intersection.

The officer driving the police car was taken to Temple's hospital for treatment of a concussion and to receive five stitches. The other officer was hospitalized with neck, back and leg pain. The gunshot victim didn't suffer additional injuries in the accident.

The 29-year-old driver of the Lexus was hospitalized with chest pain, while the Camaro's operator was taken to the hospital for treatment of pain to his neck, back and abdomen.

Before the crash, the officers had been traveling from the shooting scene on the 2900 block of West Cumberland Street.

The victim had been found on the ground, suffering gunshot wounds to his left hip and right leg, according to police.

He told investigators that he had been approached by two unknown men, one of whom said, "You know what this is."

One of the assailants started shooting, as the victim jumped away. The suspects then fled and were last seen heading north on the 2500 block of North Myrtlewood Street.

Police said the drivers of the cars did not have licenses. No charges have been filed so far in connection with either the shooting or the crash.