One person died and several others were injured when a building collapsed in East Baltimore, Maryland, after being hit by two cars that collided at an adjacent intersection.
According to police reports, the crash happened at around 9 p.m. local time on Feb. 8 after officers approached a suspected stolen car and it sped off and struck another vehicle, reported CBS News.
After colliding, the cars landed on the sidewalk at the intersection of East North Avenue and North Wolfe Street and then careened into the building, causing it to partially collapse.
“Due to the fatal crash at North Avenue and Wolfe Street, traffic in the area will be shut down for several hours,” said a Baltimore police Twitter post.
According to police, a 54-year-old man was pulled from the debris, and pronounced dead at the scene.
Five other people were injured and taken to local hospitals. Their conditions are currently unknown. It’s unclear at this stage whether the survivors were inside either of the vehicles when the building fell.
The local firefighter’s union confirmed that a special rescue team was dispatched to the site to stabilize the remaining building and help with recovery operations.
“#BMORESBravest on scene of a car that crashed into a building. At least 2 people trapped. #BCFDSOC Special Rescue Team is on the way to stabilize the building and free the people. 5 #BCFDEMS units called,” a Twitter post by Baltimore firefighters read.
According to officials, crash team investigators and at least five medics were also sent to the site.
“We’ll look at all the body-worn camera and any other video to see what in fact happened that caused the vehicle to take off and cause this accident,” Baltimore police Deputy Richard Worley told CBS.
Authorities believe at least two more people are trapped under the building. The cars, one red and one a black sedan, were removed from the site at around 10:30 p.m. local time and towed away, reported NY News.
The investigation remains open and is currently ongoing.
