Car crashes into wall of Philadelphia charter school building
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A car crashed into a wall of a Philadelphia charter school building Friday morning before the school day began.
The crash happened before 6 a.m. near the intersection of Kensington and Torresdale Avenues at Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School. The K-12 charter school has about 1,500 students.
Police rushed one man to Temple University Hospital after the crash. He was unresponsive.
Emergency crews and the city Department of Licensing and Inspections, which handles building safety, were on the scene.
The building has only been open for about two months and now the gates are mangled, some bricks are crumbling and there is damage inside the building.
Witnesses say the driver appeared to be speeding before the car spun out of control. Another witness saw the car hit a tree. \
"I ran over there to see if I could help, but once I got out of there, I saw the man land outside of the window like laundry," a witness said. "I pray and hope this man lives but what I saw with my own two eyes, hmm I don't think so."
The school was already scheduled for a half day on Friday and will proceed as normal. Students were told to use a different entrance.
"It's disheartening to see that our brand new building was hit by a car, but we'll adjust, and we'll remain open for the kids," Assistant Principal Andrew Boglioli said.
No students were inside at the time of the crash.
"That's a great thing the kids weren't inside," said Vanessa Motas, a parent. She said she was scared to bring her kids to school Friday.
"But they got to come in, and they're only in here for a half a day, they should have just shut the school down for the day."
The car has since been removed from the scene.