CHICAGO (WLS) — A van slammed into a building in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood Saturday afternoon, injuring four people—including a child—damaging the structure and causing part of it to collapse. The building was evacuated.
Chicago Fire Department officials said all four people inside the van were hurt in the crash near Cicero Avenue and Congress Parkway. Three victims were transported to Stroger Hospital, while another was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital. All are expected to survive.
The collision sent debris falling from the building and filled the area with dust as witnesses rushed to help those trapped in the wrecked vehicle.
Larry Murdock, who lived in an upstairs apartment that was damaged, described the crash as sounding “like an explosion.”
He said the scene quickly disappeared behind a thick cloud of dust.
Murdock recalled that sections of the building fell onto the van’s hood, trapping a woman in the passenger seat.
Cellphone footage showed Murdock and other bystanders trying to pull the occupants from the badly damaged van. The video also revealed the extent of the structural damage, including Murdock’s bed hanging from the exposed second floor.
Murdock was working at his family’s tire business, B
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After hearing the driver’s warning, Murdock and others immediately ran toward the vehicle to help rescue the children.
Murdock said the van appeared to crash while trying to avoid another vehicle that entered traffic at a high rate of speed.
He said witnesses could hear the other vehicle accelerating as it pulled into traffic.
By the time the van’s driver noticed the vehicle, Murdock said, there was little time to react. The driver swerved right, went over the curb and struck the building.
Murdock said the other vehicle did not stop and continued away from the scene.
The building was empty at the time of the crash, and city inspectors arrived to evaluate the damage and determine the next steps.
Murdock said those affected by the crash are focused on staying resilient and rebuilding.
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