Driver Hits Chi O House at KU

[NutBrnHair]

A pickup truck driven by a 23-year-old crashed into a Kansas University sorority early Sunday, Lawrence police Sgt. Susan Hadl said.

The driver, whose identity has not been released, was flown by helicopter to a Kansas City area hospital. His condition was not available Sunday night. No one else was injured.

Hadl said police were called shortly before 2 a.m. to the 500 block of West 14th Street, near the Jayhawk Cafe and the Wheel Cafe, two bars popular with college students that are better known as the Hawk and the Wheel.

Ryan Delcotto, who was working as a bartender at the Hawk, said a man was using a hammer to break windows on vehicles near the Wheel. Delcotto said the man, whom he described as being in his 20s, also was threatening departing bar patrons in the area with a knife.

Police were called, and Delcotto said when they arrived the man drove away up 14th Street and onto Jayhawk Boulevard.

While traveling west on Jayhawk Boulevard, the truck ran into and over the cement barriers that protect a traffic control booth before being launched over the Chi Omega fountain and into the side of the Chi Omega house, said Jane Moseley, Chi Omega’s alumni adviser.

“The police officer told me the car was going 80 to 90 mph and went airborne,” she said.

Chi Omega’s former president, Mallory Hammersmith, was at the sorority when the accident happened and helped with notifying chapter advisers and other officers.

“A bunch of girls woke up because they felt the truck hit the house,” she said.

The pickup truck pierced the exterior limestone and cracked the interior wall, sending splinters and glass fragments throughout the south part of the house, chapter president Chelsie Harper said.

Harper said the rooms that were damaged are popular study areas, which, with finals coming up, will present an inconvenience.

“We’re going to have to compensate with other areas,” she said. “It’s one of those peculiar things, but it’s truly a blessing that no one was in that room when the accident occurred




source: LJWord.com

[NutBrnHair]

Tire marks and a broken ledge are the scattered remains in front of the Chi Omega sorority house. Sunday morning a small pick-up crashed through the front window of the house while the car was being chased by police. One person was flown to Kansas City for injuries.



Photo by Amanda Sellers source: Kansan.com

[midwesterngirl]

Sorry to crash ladies. One of the local stations had some video footage of it.

http://www.6newslawrence.com/news/20...after_truck_c/

[xoheatherxo]

glad to hear that only the house got a lil hurt...cause it could have been a lot worse! that house looks gorgeous though (even despite the damage!). good luck on finals girls!!

[NutBrnHair]

Repairs to the front of the Chi Omega house following a May accident may not be finished before the sorority begins its fall formal recruitment.

In May, a man crashed his pick-up truck into the front of the house, located at 1345 West Campus Rd. No injuries from the accident were reported.

Chelsie Harper, Chi Omega President and Hugoton senior, said the house is livable and sorority members will be able to move into the house in August for recruitment.

The front of the house may not be finished by the time prospective members come through fall formal recruitment in August, Harper said. She said she hoped that visitors to Chi Omega empathize with their situation.

“You know as far as our house being intact fully, I think it is something that the girls will understand,” Harper said.

The construction on the damaged area of the house took some time to begin, Harper said. She said the repairs to the house’s exterior proved difficult because the building is a historical landmark.

Because of this, the construction crews must comply with several requirements from the National Register of Historic Places. All construction materials must be of the same type as those of the pre-existing structure.

Once the materials — such as limestone — are delivered, the construction could begin. No completion date has been released.

A piano and other furniture in the house were also damaged by the truck. Harper said the furniture needs to be recovered and the piano needs to be sanded.

[RockChalk2010]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Repairs to the front of the Chi Omega house following a May accident may not be finished before the sorority begins its fall formal recruitment.

In May, a man crashed his pick-up truck into the front of the house, located at 1345 West Campus Rd. No injuries from the accident were reported.

Chelsie Harper, Chi Omega President and Hugoton senior, said the house is livable and sorority members will be able to move into the house in August for recruitment.

The front of the house may not be finished by the time prospective members come through fall formal recruitment in August, Harper said. She said she hoped that visitors to Chi Omega empathize with their situation.

“You know as far as our house being intact fully, I think it is something that the girls will understand,” Harper said.

The construction on the damaged area of the house took some time to begin, Harper said. She said the repairs to the house’s exterior proved difficult because the building is a historical landmark.

Because of this, the construction crews must comply with several requirements from the National Register of Historic Places. All construction materials must be of the same type as those of the pre-existing structure.

Once the materials — such as limestone — are delivered, the construction could begin. No completion date has been released.

A piano and other furniture in the house were also damaged by the truck. Harper said the furniture needs to be recovered and the piano needs to be sanded.

An update on this story. Their house indeed is not finished for recruitment, and over that large area that covered the damage with a large hanging sign they had printed. The only problem is that the text they had printed to be put on the sign said something along the lines of:

"We are "rushing" to repair our historical chapter house."

Panhellenic fined them for using the word "rushing" on the outside of their house, and they were forced to cover up the sign, and change the wording to, "We are working to repair our historical chapter house."

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by RockChalk2010

An update on this story. Their house indeed is not finished for recruitment, and over that large area that covered the damage with a large hanging sign they had printed. The only problem is that the text they had printed to be put on the sign said something along the lines of:

"We are "rushing" to repair our historical chapter house."

Panhellenic fined them for using the word "rushing" on the outside of their house, and they were forced to cover up the sign, and change the wording to, "We are working to repair our historical chapter house."

You have GOT to be kidding me? Geeeez.