A quiet Saturday afternoon in Sheepshead Bay turned chaotic when an Audi SUV slammed into the front of a home just after 1 p.m., injuring one person and sending rattled residents out onto the sidewalk. The crash punched a hole in the building’s facade and left cracks spidering across interior walls, according to neighbors. Streets around the scene were roped off as inspectors and utility crews worked into the afternoon.
Officials, Inspectors And Utility Crews On Scene
City officials and Department of Buildings inspectors arrived to determine whether the structure was safe to reoccupy, while National Grid crews drilled to check for possible gas line damage, according to News 12 Brooklyn. Caution tape sealed off the front of the property as inspectors walked through and examined visible cracking. The outlet reports that the impact triggered evacuations along the block. Police told News 12 Brooklyn that one person was transported to a hospital with minor injuries and that no additional injuries were reported.
Family Shaken But Child Unhurt
"My son was on the bed just playing around, and all of a sudden we hear like a car coming in," resident Emmanuel told News 12 Brooklyn. He said the vehicle hit his son’s bedroom head-on, yet the child was not hurt. The Red Cross told the outlet it was assisting displaced residents and that all but one of the affected apartment buildings had been cleared for people to return.
Vehicle-Into-Building Crashes Are A Bigger Problem
Advocates note that crashes where vehicles plow into buildings happen far more often than most people realize. Research cited by Streetsblog USA estimates these incidents occur dozens of times a day across the United States. Those groups frequently point to street design, curbside parking setups and a lack of protective bollards as common factors in such collisions.
What To Watch Next
Department of Buildings inspectors will decide whether the damaged structure can be safely reoccupied, and the city urges residents not to return to compromised buildings until officials give the all-clear, according to NYC Emergency Management. The American Red Cross Greater New York provides emergency shelter and support services for families displaced by home emergencies and maintains a 24-hour hotline for people who need immediate assistance.
