Truck hits school gym
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SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (KHBS/KHOG) — A vehicle lost control and crashed into the Siloam Springs Intermediate gym at bout 3:30 Tuesday morning, according to Captain Derek Spicer with the Siloam Springs Police Department.
“Once the vehicle went through the intersection at Cheri Whitlock and Mount Olive, rather than negotiate the curve on Cheri Whitlock, he continued, jumped over the curb, hit a fire hydrant, and then slammed into the school,” Spicer told 40/29 News.
The damage left behind included two holes on the exterior of the building and damage to an interior wall.
According to Spicer, the driver along with others fled the scene after the crash.
“The driver fled the scene and there was another vehicle behind them that apparently picked up the driver and they fled together. There were more than one occupants in the vehicle,” said Spicer.
Spicer told 40/29 News that the Siloam Springs Police Department identified multiple persons of interest, however, no one is in custody at this time.
40/29 was on the scene around 4:00 a.m., as crews towed away a white pickup truck.
The assistant superintendent of operations, Shane Patrick, said the gym will be closed Tuesday morning.
“Safety is the number one thing for us here in the district, of both our students and our staff members. We’re going to do everything we need to do to make sure this is a secure facility and safe facility before we allow students into this part of the building,” Patrick said. “It’s never a good thing as an administrator to get a call at, you know, four o’clock in the morning saying that you had a building that’s been damaged by vehicle. It was an interesting morning.”
Patrick told 40/29 the gym is used for P.E. classes, and the band meets there to allow for social distancing.
He says safety is the number one priority for their students, and leaders will make sure the building is structurally sound before bringing students and staff back into the area.
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