CHICAGO () — Four people, including a child, were hurt Saturday afternoon after a van slammed into a building in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood. The collision partially damaged the structure, prompting an evacuation.
Chicago Fire Department officials said all four people inside the van were injured near Cicero Avenue and Congress Parkway. Three victims were taken to Stroger Hospital, while another was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital. All four are expected to survive.
The crash tore through part of the building, sending dust into the air and sending nearby bystanders rushing to help.
Larry Murdock, who lived in an upstairs apartment that was damaged, described the sound as “like an explosion.”
Within moments, he said, the scene was covered by “just a cloud of dust.”
“It fell down in chunks, and it fell down on top of the hood of the van. And, the lady was trapped down in the passenger seat,” Murdock said.
Cellphone footage showed Murdock and other witnesses trying to pull people from the badly damaged van. The video also revealed the building’s severe destruction, including Murdock’s bed dangling from the exposed second floor.
Murdock was working at his family’s tire business, B
“And, the driver climbed out. His mouth was busted but he climbed out, and he come around, and that's when he told us that he had children in the car. So, we all ran,” Murdock said.
Murdock said the van crashed while its driver was trying to avoid another vehicle that pulled into traffic at a high rate of speed.
“You can hear him. He's speeding because he turned out fast,” Murdock said.
“And, the van, by the time he saw it, it was too late. So, he tried to swerve over to the right, but he jumped the curb and hit the building,” he said.
The other vehicle’s driver, Murdock said, left the area after the collision.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the crash. City inspectors arrived to evaluate the structural damage.
Murdock said he expects the building may need to be demolished. He also expressed concern about the future of the tire shop, which he said provides his only income.
“We can't do nothing but stay strong and try to rebuild,” Murdock said.
