Dayton Fire Department District Chief Fred Haney said when crews arrived, the pickup truck was about halfway into the building and people who were “obviously injured” were lying in the front yard.
One person who was inside the apartment had to be helped out by neighbors, and the other was able to get out of the building without assistance.
The district chief said it is amazing that nobody was killed in the crash.
“Any time you have a vehicle that goes into a structure, all the way into it, you’re lucky to be alive,” he said.
The concern now is that the building is not stable, so all occupants have been evacuated. Crews are shoring up the building and a structural engineer will assess the damage.
The American Red Cross will be called to help anyone without anywhere to go, Haney said.
A crane was called to remove the pickup.
The cause of the crash is unclear, but Haney said that this building has been hit by vehicles multiple times before. Traffic heading northbound on Wilmington drives directly toward the building before turning right or veering left on Wayne Avenue.
Some of the building’s brick facade shows signs of newer bricks and repairs made previously.
The intersection at Wayne and Wilmington avenues was closed while crews worked.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
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