1 Injured After Building Collapses In East Baltimore, Officials Say
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- One woman was injured after a building collapse in east Baltimore on Friday morning, according to officials.
Firefighters arrived on the scene around 10 a.m. in the 400 block of Pitman Place in the Greenmount West neighborhood.
A couple was inside a car when bricks fell onto the vehicle they were inside.
The woman was injured on her side and taken to an area hospital. The man driving the car was not injured but said the force of the collapse spun his car around.
"I hit the brakes but it didn't matter," said Carlos Abarca. "I don't know what to say, but I know one thing, that thing came down fast."
No other injuries were reported, Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said, and no other buildings had to be evacuated.
Investigators are trying to determine if the wind was a factor. The Baltimore area and most of the state were under a wind advisory until 6 p.m.
"It's a very windy day as you can see, but can we say the wind has contributed to this? We don't know at this point," Clark said.
⚠️BUILDING COLLAPSE U/D⚠️
— Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 (@BCFDL734) March 26, 2021
Corrected Address:
400 blk Pittman Pl 21202#GreenmountWest@avalon1958#BMORESBravest #BCFDSOC have determined the structure is unoccupied. @BaltimorePolice @FOP3 have Greenmount blocked. #BalTraffic@BaltimoreDPW bringing equipment to clear the road. pic.twitter.com/F6NupntJm4
WJZ had an exclusive interview with the developer. He said he'd just asked the previous occupants to vacate the premises in January because of this very safety concern.
"Yes. We made sure we took all precautions," Charlie Jones, the property owner, said. "Making sure that no one was inside the building operating prior to us starting the project."
Baltimore has had a tragic history of deadly building collapses.
In 2014, a young boy died after a rowhome caught on fire and the building partially collapsed on him.
In 2016, a man sitting in his Cadillac died after a building collapse in west Baltimore.
The victim was released from the hospital. The force of the falling building was so powerful the side airbags were activated, but somehow, the bricks still made it into the back seat.