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Monday, Jan. 5, 2026
Police are investigating a crash that left a car resting against the front of a building at Stevens and West 1st Avenue. The vehicle was pushed into the structure shortly before 10 a.m. after a two-vehicle collision at the downtown corner. Paramedics treated one person at the scene and took them to a local hospital with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries. No one inside the building was hurt. The intersection was closed for about two hours while crews rerouted traffic.
Witnesses told investigators that a silver sedan was at the curb when a dark-colored SUV struck it from behind. The impact pushed the sedan across the narrow sidewalk and into the storefront. A loud bang knocked chunks of brick from the wall, and the sedan's bumper came to rest just inside the broken glass entryway.
"I heard a pop and then a thud," said a nearby cafe worker, who did not want to be named. "By the time I looked outside, the car was halfway into the shop." The worker added that several people rushed over to check whether anyone was trapped. No pedestrians appeared to be involved.
Preliminary reports from police indicate the driver of the sedan was alone in the vehicle. The driver of the SUV stayed at the scene and was interviewed by officers. Police said they had not ruled out speed or distraction, but they did not note any immediate sign that either factor played a role.
Fire crews stabilized the sedan before tow truck operators pulled it out of the building. Medics evaluated the sedan's driver as a precaution, even though the person was able to walk to the ambulance. A second person from the SUV was treated for a minor cut and declined transport to the hospital.
A police spokesperson said the collision is being treated as a property-damage incident until the full report is reviewed. No citations have been issued as of Monday afternoon. The department asked anyone with dashcam video of the crash to share it with the traffic unit.
The fire department posted a brief alert shortly after 10 a.m. advising travelers to avoid the Stevens and West 1st Avenue area. A hazardous-materials crew was also called because radiator fluid had leaked from the damaged sedan. The spill was contained, and the street reopened before noon.
The building at the corner is a two-story structure with a retail space on the ground floor and one residential unit upstairs. The retail space was not open for business when the car hit the wall, which likely prevented more serious injuries. The building owner arrived within an hour and inspected the damage alongside a city building inspector.
The inspector determined that the main structure was stable, but the facade needs professional repair. A temporary plywood barrier now covers the damaged section, and yellow caution tape keeps pedestrians off that part of the sidewalk. The shop's entrance will remain closed until a structural assessment is completed.
This is not the first time a vehicle has ended up close to a building in this area. Longtime business owners describe the corner as a busy crossing with a relatively tight curb at certain times of day.
A local traffic engineer who has worked on projects in the neighborhood said the crash shows how vulnerable many older storefronts are. The engineer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that there are no bollards or barriers between the travel lane and the entrance. "Once a vehicle is pushed off line, there isn't anything to redirect it," the engineer said. "That's worth reconsidering, especially on a corner where pedestrians gather."
This type of crash is a reminder that building walls are not built to withstand being hit by a multi-ton vehicle. Even at low speeds, the force can cause significant damage. In this case, the building's exterior—a wide glass window surrounded by brick—may have absorbed some of the impact, but the collision still broke through both layers.
No one from the city's transportation department was available to comment Monday, but a building official said any redesign at the intersection would require a larger improvement plan. It is unclear whether this crash will trigger such a review.
Police said the report will be forwarded to the city solicitor's office for review. Any negligence determination, if one is made, will come later. For now, the focus is on making the building safe and letting medical staff check on the driver.
The driver of the sedan was expected to be released from the hospital Monday night. Police have not released the driver's name, citing privacy rules until the report is finalized. The driver of the SUV was also not identified.
Anyone with dashcam footage that shows the seconds before the collision is asked to call the police traffic unit. The department is particularly interested in whether the SUV entered the intersection on a green light or was in the middle of a lane change.
Business owners in the block said they hope the repair work is quick, but they also said they want to see changes that prevent a repeat. "We keep saying it takes a car hitting the building for people to pay attention," the cafe worker said.
