Mankato officer, 2 others injured when pursuit ends in crash

Three people, including a police officer, were hospitalized after a fleeing driver caused a crash in southern Minnesota Tuesday evening, authorities said.

The suspect driver was heading east on Highway 14 in Mankato when he rear-ended another car, pushing it into a Mankato police vehicle, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. A catalytic converter fell from one of the cars during the crash and a second Mankato police car hit it.

The suspect driver, the driver of the car he hit and a Mankato officer were all taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

Highway 14 was temporarily closed near Riverfront Drive after the crash.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash and is expected to release more information on Wednesday.