Icy conditions contribute to two crashes on Edgewood Road in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - A police officer was injured while responding to a multivehicle crash Thursday morning.

Both crashes, involving a total of seven vehicles, are being attributed to icy road conditions.

According to public safety spokesman Greg Buelow, officers were called to a multivehicle crash in the 4900 block of Edgewood Road SW at 5:45 a.m. Thursday. One of the vehicles involved was reported to be on fire.

While en route to the crash, a Cedar Rapids police squad car was involved in a crash with a Jeep Cherokee on the Edgewood Road bridge. The two officers - who were southbound - collided with the northbound Jeep, Buelow said.

One officer in the squad car was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injures. The second officer in the squad car and the Jeep driver did not require treatment.

A total of five vehicles were involved in the original crash, not including the squad car and Jeep involved in the second crash. There were no injuries in the first crash, Buelow said.

The cause of both crashes remain under investigation, though police believe icy conditions on the roads were a factor.