UPDATE: Driver Injured After Car Crashes Into Strip Mall In Far Northeast Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A driver is hospitalized after a car crashed into a strip mall in Far Northeast Philadelphia Friday night.
The incident was reported at about 5:20 p.m. at Academy Plaza, located at the 3200 block of Red Lion Road in the Modena Park section.
Chopper 3 HD was over the scene as fire crews and police responded to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue office.
"I heard it. It was loud," said one eyewitness.
"Oh, man, I mean a boom. It sounded like a bomb. Big thunderous crash. The car went up on the curb and went airborne about five, six feet," said eyewitness Joe Quigley.
The car witnesses saw, a silver Mercedes, slammed right into the Department of Revenue office sending glass and debris everywhere. The impact so strong, witnesses say they felt the ground shake. The car ended up lodged well inside the building.
Joe Quigley and a handful of others stepped in to help. They ran to the driver who was still inside his car.
"We checked on the guy. Took the keys out of his ignition, told him help was on the way," said one eyewitness.
Eyewitness News is told the male driver in his 80's was taken to Aria Health Torresdale Campus.
The office was closed at the time of the crash.
"They close at five o'clock. This happened 10 minutes later. The employees would have been in there working, it could have been a tragedy," said Quigley.
Eyewitnesses say the driver was alert and was talking at the scene.
The victim's condition is unknown at this time.
No other injuries were reported.
It's unclear what caused the crash.
