Photo: Annie Rose Ramos via Twitter
A parking garage at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor partially collapsed Friday Morning, moments after a driver entered the garage. Fortunately, the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed no one was injured.
The cause of the collapse is not known yet, and building inspectors and engineers are working to assess the structure. Speculations mount that a new concrete ramp installed five years ago is to blame. To install the ramp, workers cut through the concrete ceiling between the ground level and the second floor, right in the collapsed area. This could’ve compromised the integrity of the structure.
"Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident that happened around 10 am at the entrance at 1 E. Pratt St.," according to the Baltimore City Fire Department. They found no signs of anyone trapped or hurt during an initial scan and floor-by-floor search of the garage, Assistant Chief Dante Stewart said. Nevertheless, for Scott McConnell, the guy that drove into the garage moments before the collapse, it was a terrifying experience.
“Put the car in park and I watch the ceiling in front of me drop, it just went,” he told CBS News. “The section of the second floor just fell into the gate, took it out.”
The main photo was taken right from where he was parked. McConnell got out of his car, called 911, and ensured no one was trapped or calling for help. It was a miracle that no one was hurt and no vehicle was damaged when the concrete ceiling collapsed. But around 50 cars were trapped inside because the garage accessway was blocked by debris. McConnell himself was affected, unable to take his car out to go home, 75 miles away in Pennsylvania.
“I asked if I could get a rental car or what about a hotel room because I’m stranded here tonight, and then they told me no,” McConnell said.
The fire department said that the garage owners and managers are responsible for annual facility inspections. Despite that, the last check was in 2017, right before the works to install the new ramp started.
"Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident that happened around 10 am at the entrance at 1 E. Pratt St.," according to the Baltimore City Fire Department. They found no signs of anyone trapped or hurt during an initial scan and floor-by-floor search of the garage, Assistant Chief Dante Stewart said. Nevertheless, for Scott McConnell, the guy that drove into the garage moments before the collapse, it was a terrifying experience.
“Put the car in park and I watch the ceiling in front of me drop, it just went,” he told CBS News. “The section of the second floor just fell into the gate, took it out.”
The main photo was taken right from where he was parked. McConnell got out of his car, called 911, and ensured no one was trapped or calling for help. It was a miracle that no one was hurt and no vehicle was damaged when the concrete ceiling collapsed. But around 50 cars were trapped inside because the garage accessway was blocked by debris. McConnell himself was affected, unable to take his car out to go home, 75 miles away in Pennsylvania.
“I asked if I could get a rental car or what about a hotel room because I’m stranded here tonight, and then they told me no,” McConnell said.
The fire department said that the garage owners and managers are responsible for annual facility inspections. Despite that, the last check was in 2017, right before the works to install the new ramp started.
No injuries to report in the Pratt St. garage. Nearly 50 cars remain inside until bldg inspectors help drivers retrieve their vehicles. At this time, the cause remains under investigation & will be handled by bldg management S&P Plus. pic.twitter.com/lzd1Nnv0nH
— Baltimore Fire (@BaltimoreFire) July 15, 2022
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