3 People Hospitalized after Car Crashes into School in Arkansas 5 Weeks after Similar Incident

Siloam Springs School has been the scene of two car crashes in the last 5 weeks, leaving authorities to make a plan to ensure that the building and students are protected.

Siloam Springs School, an intermediate school in Arkansas, was the scene of a car crash that left three people hospitalized. A similar accident happened at the same location 5 weeks ago.

The school's gymnasium has had extensive damage done to it by the two vehicles that ran into it. In the most recent crash, the three people were immediately transported to the hospital and were said to be in critical condition.

TWICE IN TWENTY YEARS

The assistant superintendent of Siloam Springs School District, Shane Patrick, shared that these two incidents were the first of their kind since the building was put up over two decades ago.

The car is estimated to have been traveling at a speed of between 65 and 80 miles an hour and didn't make the curve in the street, leading it to crash straight into the school. Patrick said that steps would be taken to secure the property, saying:

"We're looking at how we can do some sort of barrier system that would not make us look like a prison or a barricaded embassy somewhere."

POSSIBLY IMPAIRED

Siloam Springs Police revealed that it is very likely that the car never attempted to brake as it missed the curve and veered into the gymnasium. The driver may also have been impaired whilst behind the steering wheel.

Captain Derek Spicer elaborated on the location, saying that although the area is busy during peak school hours when the evening comes, it is a very quiet road that doesn't present any problems.

FIRST INCIDENT

The first accident that had the school worried took place on January 5, 2021, when a truck crashed into the Siloam Springs Intermediate School's gymnasium.

The police searched for the driver who fled the scene after the accident, leaving his truck lodged in the school building.

Because the crash happened outside of school hours, no students were on the premises. Patrick elaborated on the situation:

"This is a really busy intersection in the mornings, and if something like this would’ve happened during those drop-off times, it could’ve been a really tragic situation."

BURST WATER PIPES

The two car accidents haven't been the extent of damage that the Siloam Springs Intermediate School has had to deal with recently. The winter storms that hit Arkansas caused the school's water pipes to burst.

This resulted in a rough month for the educational facility. The community stepped in to help where it was needed and provided the school's necessary support to continue as normal as possible.

Siloam Springs hasn't been the only place where a school has been hit by a vehicle. Bruce-Guadalupe Elementary School in Milwaukee was also the scene of a serious car crash late last year.

The driver was taken to the hospital in critical condition after driving his car off a highway exit ramp and crashed into the school's side. Police have been investigating the incident.