A 37-year-old man is fighting for his life after police say his car crossed into the opposite lane and slammed into a building on the west side of St. Paul Street in Rochester Saturday night. The crash left the driver with life-threatening injuries, though no one else was hurt.
According to RochesterFirst, the man was driving north on St. Paul Street when his vehicle crossed over the other lane and crashed into the building. Rochester police said they responded to the area of St. Paul Street and Avenue C for the crash at around 7:42 p.m.
The driver was rushed to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, which police described as life-threatening. The outlet's report notes there were no other injuries reported in connection with the crash.
Building Was Closed, Street Blocked During Investigation
The building that was struck is closed for business, according to the same report, sparing what could have been a far more dangerous scene had it been open to customers or staff. St. Paul Street remained blocked by Avenue C as officers worked to finish their investigation into how the crash happened.
The exact cause of the crash has not been established, and police have not said whether the driver will face any citations or charges. RochesterFirst's account does not identify the man, the specific hospital treating him, or the extent of damage to the building itself.
Not the First Car-Into-Building Crash on the Corridor
St. Paul Street has seen this kind of collision before. A separate crash at St. Paul and Andrews streets previously sent an SUV crashing into the front of a building after two cars collided just after midnight, as reported by WHEC. In that incident, the SUV driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while the other driver was uninjured, and the Rochester Fire Department said the building, which has apartments and businesses above, remained structurally sound despite the damage.
Saturday's crash on St. Paul Street remains under investigation, and it is not yet known when the roadway reopened to traffic.
