PROVIDENCE, RI — A juvenile was hurt after police say he fled officers on a black moped and crashed head-on into a marked Providence police cruiser over the weekend. The Providence Police Department says the rider was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with minor injuries after the collision.
Officers were responding to calls about several people wearing all black and reportedly carrying knives near 160 Cranston Street on Sunday. Police say the crash remains under investigation.
Police were called to Cranston Street after reports of people with knives
According to Providence police, the incident began when officers were sent to the area of 160 Cranston Street after multiple calls about several subjects dressed in black and reportedly in possession of knives. The department has not said whether anyone was injured before officers arrived.
When officers reached the area, police say one juvenile male left the scene on a black moped. The department has described the rider as a juvenile but has not released an age or additional identifying details.
Officers say the moped went the wrong way on Dodge Street
Police say the juvenile drove the moped the wrong way onto nearby Dodge Street while officers were carrying out an apprehension. That put the rider in the path of several officers standing in the roadway.
According to the department, the moped then sped toward the officers, forcing them to move out of the way. Police did not say how far the moped traveled before the crash or whether any officer was struck.
Marked cruiser took the impact in the collision
After officers moved aside, police say the moped crashed into a marked Providence Police cruiser. The department characterized the collision as head-on.
No other injuries were reported in the immediate aftermath, and police have not said whether the cruiser sustained significant damage. The department’s account indicates the rider was the only person taken to the hospital.
Juvenile was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital
The juvenile was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital after the crash and was reported to have minor injuries. Police did not provide further medical details.
Authorities also have not said whether the juvenile was arrested or charged. The case is still being reviewed as investigators work through the sequence of events that led from the call on Cranston Street to the collision on Dodge Street.
Investigation continues as police review the weekend response
Providence police say the matter remains under investigation, and no additional information has been released about the people who were reported to be wearing black and carrying knives. The department has not publicly identified anyone involved beyond describing the moped rider as a juvenile male.
The response unfolded on Sunday and involved officers already in the area conducting an apprehension. For now, the department’s account centers on a short but dangerous pursuit that ended with a crash into a police cruiser and a trip to the hospital.
