MILWAUKEE — On Monday, Matthew Wurzer was sitting in his living room in his second-floor apartment on the corner of Farwell and Lafayette.
That's when he heard the sound of a car swerving.
"The building kind of shook a little bit and we're like 'Oh somebody hit the building," Wurzer told TMJ4 reporter Brendyn Jones.
When Wurzer looked out of his window, he saw a black car that had crashed into The Lafayette Place, the restaurant on the first floor of his building.
Police say the accident happened around 11:35 a.m.
While they are still investigating, building owners and Wurzer tell me witnesses said the car crashed into the building after trying to avoid another car that had cut them off in front of the restaurant. They say that the car fled the scene.
Watch: Lafayette Place owners call for better driving after Monday's car crash
"This is serious, this is going to close us for a bit," said Angie Wierzbinski, the co-owner of The Lafayette Place, when asked what her first reaction to the damage was.
The street in front of the restaurant is now closed off to the public, and the building is boarded up.
"They’re afraid of the front collapsing because there is so much damage to the building," Wierzbinski said.
But now, the people involved are hoping for change to the way people drive on Farwell.
"They’re (the city is) putting up some of those speed bump things, it’d be nice if they could put up more of those and things like that," Wurzer said. "I think that’d be ideal but really it’s got to be about the community that’s got to get it together."
The building manager, Michel Aboul-Zelof, told TMJ4 this is the second time in the last four years the building has been hit by a car.
He said it's frustrating, and better driving starts with the people behind the wheel.
"Most importantly, you as a driver, just slow down," Aboul-Zelof said. "If you’re five minutes late, it’s better than if you never arrive.
For now, the building is boarded up and Angie has to figure out what to do with her staff. She says, if people want to support her business they can shop at The National, in Walker's Point.
She also says The Lafayette Place will be selling items at the South Shore farmer's market this week.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
