A taxi cab that crashed into a first-floor room in The Savoy Apartments Monday knocked out part of a wall and burst open a water pipe, but did not cause any serious injuries, Metropolitan Police Department public information officer Anthony Clay said Tuesday.
The cab veered more than 30 feet off New Hampshire Avenue, driving over the curb, through flowerbeds and into a bedroom. Two people, including the driver, were taken to the hospital, the building’s resident manager Lola Haynes said.
Residents of the affected apartment were not in the room at the time of the crash, she said. The residents were relocated to another room later that day.
The cab hit a hot water pipe that spilled into the apartment and the lobby, causing the building to shut down the entire complex’s water and heating system, Haynes said.
“It’s bad but it’s not horrible. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed and repaired and replaced,” Haynes said. “It was just a random, unfortunate occurrence.”
Haynes said she expects repairs to wrap up in two to four weeks, and the Savoy’s insurance company would cover all of the damages. She said she didn’t know how much the repairs would cost.
A woman working behind the front desk Monday also received medical attention. The crash occurred just a few feet away from her desk, and she was so startled that she fell. She was the first employee to discover the cab, and Haynes said she was treated for shock.
“We heard a loud bang, and they’ve been doing construction around here, so I just thought it was the construction noise,” said Haynes, who was in her office on another side of the building when the cab struck the apartment.
Haynes said the driver was conscious after the accident and sat outside his car as the police and fire departments arrived. She added that she did not see any passengers in the cab.
A clean-up crew removed debris from the property Tuesday morning, and a wooden wall was put up to cover the large hole. The room’s window and radiator were also wiped out by the cab.
A man who was driving alongside the cab driver during the accident was also present, and gave his account to police officers.
The Metropolitan Police Department had no further information about the incident as it is still under investigation, Clay said.
The Savoy Apartments, a popular off-campus housing option for students, are located at 2101 L Streets.
– Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.