Local
Car Slams Into Silver Spring Apartment Building, Ruptures Gas Line
A vehicle crashed into an apartment building on West Carmen Avenue early Tuesday, tearing out brickwork, toppling a tree and striking the building's gas meters. We Energies crews stopped the leak, but it remains unclear what caused the crash or whether anyone was hurt.
A car plowed into an apartment building on Milwaukee's northwest side early Tuesday morning, tearing away a section of the structure's brick facade, knocking down a large tree and striking the natural gas lines that feed the building, according to authorities.
The crash occurred around 5 a.m. on West Carmen Avenue, between North 84th Street and West Thurston Avenue, in the city's Silver Spring neighborhood. Aerial footage from a news helicopter showed the heavily damaged vehicle resting on the building's lawn, with a pile of bricks and debris scattered nearby.
Milwaukee police and firefighters responded to the scene, joined by crews from We Energies after the vehicle hit the area where gas meters and service lines enter the building. The utility stopped the leak and planned to continue repairs throughout Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear what caused the driver to leave the roadway, whether anyone was injured, or whether any residents were displaced from their homes. Officials had not released those details as of Tuesday morning.
The crash raises familiar concerns for residents of Milwaukee's older apartment stock, where gas service lines and meters are often mounted at street level near parking areas and sidewalks. A strike to that equipment can sever a line and create an immediate fire and explosion hazard, which is why utility crews are dispatched alongside emergency responders.
Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact Milwaukee police. This story will be updated as more details become available.