CHICAGO (STMW) – Nine people were taken to hospitals Monday morning when a Pace van leased to a south suburban work center for people with disabilities crashed into a tree in the Far South Side Morgan Park neighborhood.

The crash happened between 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. at West 114th and South May streets, Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot said.

An EMS Plan I response, which sends at least five ambulances to the scene, was called for the crash, according to Fire Media Affairs.

Nine people, none of whom were believed to have life-threatening injuries, have been taken to hospitals, according to Fire Media, which added that a special needs transport vehicle may be need for some of the victims. The injured included eight passengers and the van’s driver, Wilmot said.

The Pace vanpool vehicle was leased to the Sertoma Centre in Alsip, which is a workshop for people with disabilities. The driver of the van is not a Pace employee, Wilmot noted. He said the van may have slipped on some ice on the road before crashing into the tree.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)