Kansas City police are searching for a suspect. A pickup truck crashed into a building housing a dental clinic and medical offices early Wednesday morning.
Kansas City Fire Department Captain Michael Hopkins said a vehicle crashed into the building at 4601 Independence Avenue around 3:14 a.m.
Firefighters discovered a pickup truck had struck the building, creating a large hole in the storage wall of Dr. Ed Kendrick’s dental office and damaging the KC HealthCare Center east of the7 building.
Video footage from the scene showed the driver attempting to reverse out of the wall but failed. Bystanders then helped the driver out of the truck; subsequent footage showed the man walking across Independence Avenue, narrowly avoiding being hit by a passing vehicle.
Authorities said the driver and other passengers had left the scene by the time emergency responders arrived, with the passengers fleeing on foot.
The pickup truck was overturned, and the damaged exterior wall has been boarded up pending permanent repairs. Dr. Kendrick reopened his office after a brief delay on Wednesday. He called the incident “a minor crisis,” but it allowed the clinic to repair the damage and continue operations.
KC Care’s Independence Avenue clinic will remain closed for the rest of the week; patients can visit the downtown clinic at 3515 Broadway.
Police are continuing their investigation and urge anyone with information to contact the Kansas City Police Department.