A 49-year-old man died after he lost control of his car and crashed into a two-story building in the Bronx early Thursday, police say.
Authorities say the man was driving his Honda Accord westbound on East Tremont Avenue when he tried to make a left onto Overing Street and apparently lost control just before 1 a.m.
The car careened into a building on Overing Street, smashing through a brick wall and sending a fire hydrant flying. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A 30-year-old female passenger was taken to Jacobi Hospital in serious condition. No other injuries were reported.
The building, which has a sign shop on the first floor and a residential second floor, was evacuated pending an assessment from the Department of Buildings. Inspectors were on the scene early Thursday. In the meantime, the Red Cross is assisting displaced residents.
Witnesses said the driver appeared to be speeding. One man described hearing an explosion and running outside to see a car inside the building. He said he didn't hear anyone trying to hit the brakes.
"We didn't hear no breaks, no skid marks on the floor, nothing," the resident, who requested his name be withheld, told NBC 4 New York. "He went right through the building. That's a brick wall. He had to come pretty fast."
Police say there is no apparent criminality at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
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