A man was arrested after a car he was driving careened into a Buckeye apartment complex yesterday, causing substantial damage. The incident, which took place just before 1 p.m. at Cholla Ranch Apartments located near Miller and Baseline Roads, rattled the community as the vehicle smashed through a wall of a ground-floor residence. According to 12News, several apartments were damaged, including the units above and adjacent to the collision site.
Running away from the scene, the driver was quickly apprehended by the Buckeye Police at his home and now faces multiple felony charges. While attempting to flee, police believe the driver was speeding during the crash. "All I heard was just a big crash and bang, almost something like metal," stated Daymien Llamas, a witness, highlighting the intensity of the impact that left the front end of the car severely crushed. Buckeye Fire Department noted that the vehicle was traveling southbound on Miller Road when it veered off the road and struck the building, as reported by 12News.
Fleeing the scene the driver was, it wasn't long before the authorities caught up with him. A passenger in the car, a woman, was taken to the hospital but is expected to recover. "The front end of the car was left crushed, but police said the driver managed to run away," as FOX 10 Phoenix reported, summarizing the chaotic aftermath of the crash.
Witnesses and local residents were left shaken by the abrupt intrusion of metal and glass into their daily lives. Terry Johnson was at her kitchen table when the car came crashing through her apartment. "It scared the living daylights out of me," she told FOX 10 Phoenix, recounting the terrifying experience of being surrounded by flying debris. Elsewhere in the complex, another resident, Kevin Gates, was in his bedroom when he likened the sound of the collision to thunder.
Despite the disruption and damage, no serious injuries were reported from within the building at the time of the crash. The affected residents of the Cholla Ranch Apartments now face displacement until their homes are restored to a livable condition.
