PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School in Frankford is sending students home early after a car slammed into the school gymnasium early Friday morning.
A red sedan crashed into the exterior wall of the gymnasium on Torresdale Avenue, near Kensington Avenue. The car went through a metal fence and into a glass front door around 5:45 a.m.
The driver was taken to the hospital in extremely critical condition.
People are being kept out of the building while L&I inspectors work to identify if there is any structural damage.
The gym facility opened only two months ago.
"It's disheartening to see that our brand-new building was hit by a car, but we'll adjust and we'll make do," said assistant principal Andrew Boglioli.
He said about 1,500 students attend the school, so he’s grateful this happened before they showed up on campus.
The school shifted to a half-day schedule on Friday. Students are being redirected to a different section of the building in order to get to their classes safely. Dropoffs and pickups are being redirected to the school’s main building.
There were no activities scheduled in the gym for Friday.