Out-of-control car slams into apartment
Driver, residents unharmed; vehicle lost traction on ice
By James Cavanaugh / Staff Writer
MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2008
Several Ypsilanti residents were surprised by a large boom Saturday evening when a woman driving a beige Chevrolet Cobalt crashed into an unoccupied ground-level apartment in the Brickhaven complex at the corner of Washtenaw and Ballard.
The woman, who was conscious when removed from the scene, appeared uninjured when taken from her car on a gurney by paramedics. The Ypsilanti fire department declined to release the woman's name. No one was in the apartment at the time of the crash and no one else was injured.
According to Ypsilanti fire department Lieutenant Max Anthouard, the woman lost control of her car in the snow while traveling east on Washtenaw Avenue, drove approximately 40 feet across the lawn and crashed through a sliding glass door.
Anthouard also stated that alcohol was not involved.
Eugene Holst, a third floor resident of the complex, was the first person to find the woman and her car — sitting in the apartment.
"I was upstairs working on my computer and there was a large noise," said Holst. "I saw the tracks in the snow and thought it wasn't a good thing."
"She looked shaken up," said Holst. "But she appeared to be OK."
According to Holst, the first thing he did was calm the woman down and then had fellow Brickhaven resident Anita Hargrove call 911.
Hargrove was taking out her trash when the crash occurred.
"I've never seen anything like this in my life," said Hargrove.
Several residents of the complex and surrounding apartments noted hearing the crash, but at first weren't sure what happened.
"At first, I thought somebody was moving a couch and it fell down," said Karen McAdoo, who lives in the apartment complex next to Brickhaven.
EMU technology studies graduate student David Gladding was in his house, two doors down, when the crash occurred.
"I heard something while I was watching T.V.," said Gladding. "I heard the fire engines and was worried my house was on fire."
"It shook the building," said Lisa Hampton, who lives at the Brickhaven complex.
There was no major structural damage according to Lt. Anthouard, but the crash did damage a hot water line that may affect the heating system in the building.
Immediately following the crash, firefighters on the scene advised occupants of the apartment directly above to stay off their balcony. However, according to Anthouard, "the building inspector [later] came and said everything was fine."
I didn't think that Brickhaven could get anymore ghetto than it was the last time I drove by there 4 years ago...I guess I was wrong.
1 comment:
at least it didn't start a fire that would've burned uncontrollably because the fire extinguishers had been used to facilitate a dance par-tay.
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