GRANITE CITY, Ill. (AP) — Police in Granite City are looking for the person who stole an unmarked squad car and struck a police officer with it causing minor injuries.

Police in southern Illinois say the police officer was helping who he thought to be a motorist in distress on Monday evening when the theft happened. Granite City Police Chief Rich Miller says the officer left his unmarked car and found a minivan driver slumped behind the steering wheel.

The chief says when the officer tried to wake the driver the officer heard his police car move. The police vehicle then struck the officer before driving off. The minivan drove off too.

The vehicle was electronically tracked, but the signal was lost in downtown St. Louis. Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.