Crime & Public Safety

PHOTOS: Driver crashes into apartment near Morehouse campus as woman slept

Firefighters responded to the crash in southwest Atlanta on Thursday morning.
Firefighters responded to the crash in southwest Atlanta on Thursday morning.
By David Aaro and John Spink
April 13, 2023

A woman was sound asleep when a driver suffering a medical emergency crashed into her apartment building in southwest Atlanta on Thursday morning.

The wreck happened around 6 a.m. at the Ashley Collegetown apartment complex on Sells Avenue and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, near the Morehouse College campus, according to Atlanta fire Battalion Chief Shawn Manns. Both the driver and woman were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital to be checked for injuries.

Despite significant damage to both the vehicle and the brick building, neither suffered broken bones, Manns said. They were not publicly identified.

The chief said the driver had what was believed to be a seizure and lost control of his white SUV, which slammed into the three-story building. The two floors above the woman’s apartment were evacuated as a precaution.

Firefighters support the building after the crash in southwest Atlanta.
Firefighters support the building after the crash in southwest Atlanta.

Fire crews raised pieces of wood to support the structure, as debris littered the ground inside. The woman’s bed was located just a few feet from where the SUV punched a hole in the wall.

An apartment suffered major damage after an SUV crashed into it Thursday morning.
An apartment suffered major damage after an SUV crashed into it Thursday morning.

“We are just going to shore it up just to make sure it doesn’t collapse,” Manns told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from the scene.

He said that once the building is supported, officials will contact apartment management to make sure additional repairs are done.

A driver suffered a medical emergency and crashed into an apartment in southwest Atlanta on Thursday morning, officials said.
A driver suffered a medical emergency and crashed into an apartment in southwest Atlanta on Thursday morning, officials said.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

About the Authors

David Aaro is a breaking news reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

John Spink is a multi-platform photojournalist with the breaking news team. He provides compelling photos, video and audio from breaking news events for the AJC and media partners WSB Channel 2 Action News & WSB Radio

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