Car Hits Elementary School, Injuring 5 Children And 1 Adult
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Five children and one adult suffered non-life-threatening injuries Friday morning when a car struck Barclay Elementary School in North Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Fire Department.
Baltimore City Public Schools officials say the incident at the school, located in the 2900 block of Barclay Street, left damage to the exterior wall and inside ground floor of the music room.
"It was kind of like an explosion happened. So there was like the loud boom, everybody stopped," said sixth grader Armani Saunders. "Some people were running out of the classrooms, some people just was standing there."
WJZ's Devin Bartolotta says Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa told the media the kids were practicing a performance inside the classroom when the SUV barreled in.
"The bookshelves is moved out of the way, and the bricks from the outside, actually some are on the inside," De Souza said. "But it's a mess in there, we're just very fortunate that nobody was seriously injured."
School officials say five sixth graders, along with the driver, were transported to the hospital. Four of the students have since been released. The fifth is expected to be released Friday.
"I got here as fast as I can. But I'm glad everything was alright," one parent told WJZ. "There wasn't a whole lot of damage done to the school."
Counselors were at the school Friday to support students and staff, and officials say, they will also be available next week.
City Schools' facilities staff assessed the building and determined there was no structural damage. Staff will continue to work over the weekend to make sure the building is ready and safe for students on Monday.
The Baltimore City Police Department is investigating the incident.
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