Car Crashes Into North Austin Barber Shop, Driver Flees The Scene
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A car crashed Saturday into a building near North Avenue and Waller Avenue in the North Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
Police are searching for the driver who ran from the scene.
CBS 2's Audrina Bigos has the latest on the developing story.
The Chicago Fire Department received a call from a barber shop in the 5600 block of West North Avenue that a vehicle crashed into the building around 10:45 a.m. Upon arrival, crews found multiple people injured inside the barber shop from the crash.
Fire crews requested an EMS plan 1 for the injured. Five people were transported, two children to Stroger Hospital, two adults to Mt. Sinai Hospital and one adult to Loyola Hospital, according to CFD. Ages and genders were not identified. There injuries are not life-threatening.
Not only were several people hurt in the crash, but there are also about seven to 10 people who live upstairs who cannot go home. They are being told the structure is still unsafe.
Crews boarded up the barber shop on Saturday night. Inside shattered glass, hair products and parts of the walls all over the floor.
At the corner of Waller and West North, they are trying to keep looters away and are using big beams to keep the building from crumbling.
"My son was sleeping," said Milagros Quinones, who lives above the scene. "He heard a boom and everything was on the floor."
66-year-old Milagros Quinones watched crews work from her van.
"She is going to out of the apartment tonight," said Maria Quinones. "Until Tuesday and I have nowhere to go. I have an asthma machine and its up there and they won't let me up there and get it."
Chicago Police are investigating the incident as a hit-and-run. The incident involved a Kia SUV, said to have crashed into a building located on the 5600 block of North Avenue, according to CPD. The Kia was traveling eastbound on North Avenue at a high rate speed when it attempted to turn southbound onto Waller, lost control and stuck the building.
Elmwood Park police said the driver of the SUV was speeding and crashed into the barber shop. Witnesses said it was a police chase.
"Somebody ran straight through the window," said Billy Mitchell. "Everybody sitting in the front seat. It was a tragedy. All the front seats got hit."
Police are trying to track down the driver of the Kia fled the scene after the crash.
No on is in custody. The investigation is ongoing.
