Owner of Dayton apartment building repeatedly hit by cars offers solution

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

Cars continue to crash into a Dayton apartment building, so the owner has installed a possible solution.

News Center 7′s Malik Patterson will speak to a resident who has witnessed multiple cars crash into his building tonight on News Center 7 at 5:30.

Large boulders have been placed in front of the building at Wayne and Wilmington Avenues in Dayton.

According to a previous News Center 7 report, this building has been hit multiple times in the last 15 years and three times in the past two years.

>>RELATED: Cars continue to crash into Dayton apartment building

The building had smaller boulders but management decided it was time to upgrade.

William Lingle has lived in this building for two years, so, he hopes this addition will help keep him safe.

“I hope this will do the trick,” Lingle said.

Lingle said he has witnessed multiple cars crash into his building and is glad he lives on the second floor.

“They’re in danger. We’ll have to see what happens with these boulders now,” Lingle said.

>>RELATED: Officers, medics respond to a vehicle crashed into a building in Dayton

News Center 7′s Malik Patterson reached out to the owner of the building and the contractor to figure out why these boulders were placed.

“We placed boulders for landscaping, just for looks, and maybe protect it from a car,” American Built Ltd. Bruce Harrison said.

Harrison said he suggested larger boulders, instead of permanent barriers, to help protect people in the building.

“Bollards would be nice, but at the same time, you install bollards or fixed product… it opens you up to liability,” Harrison said. “We want them to move. So, we don’t want somebody to hit something solid and risk injury.”

The building owner spoke to News Center 7 over the phone.

>>PHOTOS: Officers, medics respond to a vehicle crashed into a building in Dayton

He said he is working with the city when it comes to the protection of his residents.

But residents like Lingle believe more needs to be done to ensure their safety.

“I was thinking about the barriers that they put up down there recently in Oregon District. That might be a solution for here,” Lingle said.

The owner also said he plans to plant trees throughout the Spring and Summer.