New video shows moments after car crashes into Plaza Midwood apartment building

CHARLOTTE — Police and fire crews shut down a major road in Plaza Midwood after a serious crash overnight Wednesday.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Charlotte Fire Department were at the scene on Central Avenue, near Hawthorne Lane and the Thirsty Beaver Saloon.

“He hit the railroad tracks and just flipped his way all the way into our building,” neighbor Jeff Hull told Channel 9’s Eli Brand. “It was a scary situation but thank god nobody got hurt.”

The driver crashed into the Overton Row Apartments, witnesses said, taking a pole down in its path and knocking out power for hundreds of residents. In the aftermath, the car was barely recognizable.

Witnesses said the crash happened around 11 p.m. Wednesday night after they saw police following the driver.

Eventually, they said the car flipped multiple times before the person inside got out and tried to escape police.

Cell phone video from a nearby business shows police chasing someone down, tackling, and ultimately taking that person into custody.

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MEDIC said the driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

“We saw and felt the car fly by, about 100 mph, and then we saw a police car – or two or three police cars – right behind them at the same speed,” resident Scott Parkin said.

He added, “Just lucky that no one died or no one was hurt. Especially, any pedestrians or civilians that were standing on the sidewalk.”

The crashed car sat on its side for some seven hours before being removed by a tow truck.

A snapped power pole left hundreds without power for hours. Even after crews restored it, they were still working to clear the streets of debris.

“I was just getting ready to sleep and all of a sudden, I heard a big crash, big bam, boom,” neighbor Deborah Lopez said.

Lopez told Channel 9 she not only heard the crash but also witnessed the aftermath: “So, we just ran down then we saw the car and this dude running down the street.”

As crews continued to clear the road, traffic was being rerouted around a small section of Central Avenue between Hawthorne Lane and Lamar Avenue.

Traffic Team 9’s Mark Taylor helped drivers navigate potential impacts to their Thursday morning commute.

Stay with wsoctv.com for the latest developments.

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