'Heard the boom': 23-year-old in hospital after police say he crashed into school on Milwaukee's north side

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A 23-year-old man is in the hospital after Milwaukee police said he crashed into a school on the city's north side.

According to officials, the driver collided into Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary in the Tripoli Park neighborhood, around 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24.

He was then taken to a local hospital for treatment.

"We've never had anything like this even nearly happen," said Robin Kullick who lives across the street.

Kullick and her two housemates were at home when the incident occurred.

"[My housemate] heard the crash, heard the boom, saw the taillights go through the doors," said Theresa Roden. "She ran into the house to grab her phone and yelled 'there's a car in the school!'"

Kullick said when she herself got outside, she saw the driver "come stumbling out."

"He hit his knees and fell flat on his face," Kullick recalled. "I run across the street just to make sure that he didn’t collapse and die, and I checked the pulse, and he had a pulse and I’m like okay.”

The car ended up fully inside of a hallway that's since been boarded up.

Police are still investigating what caused the crash to happen.

"He came straight down and drove into the school," Roden said. “A little bit horrific because what if that happened during the school day? How many kids would they have had to call out of there?”

A spokesperson with the Milwaukee Public School District said the incident will not impact the first day of classes on Tuesday, Sept. 3.