Stolen Van Involved in Friday Night Accident

Motorists at the intersection of Boston and Proctor streets witnessed a commotion Friday evening as a stolen car barreled through the intersection. 

At 7 p.m., a Salem police officer observed a green van, which had been reported stolen earlier in the day from North Street, according to police. The officer followed the van onto Federal Street near Boston Street. The officer approached the van on foot and the van sped off.

The van turned onto Boston Street and crossed into the opposite lane of traffic to cut off cars sitting at a red light. The van ran the red light and turned onto Proctor Street. The officer jumped back into his cruiser in an attempt to follow the van, police said. The officer then heard two crashes and saw the van come to rest in the parking lot island near , police said. 

When police got to the van, it was empty but witnesses were pointing toward the wooded area behind Walgreens. Police did not find anyone in the woods.

The incident remains under investigation.