Video: Car rams into scaffolding at stalled Midtown building site

ATLANTA - A surveillance video shows the exact moment a motorist traveling eastbound on 14th Street hit a median before smashing directly into a covered sidewalk scaffolding structure outside an abandoned Midtown tower last Sunday. 

The high-impact collision completely destroyed the protective pedestrian walkway, leaving debris scattered across the road and shutting down local traffic for hours. 

Midtown surveillance video

What we know:

Newly released security footage from a Midtown Blue surveillance camera captured a motorist traveling eastbound on 14th Street striking the sidewalk scaffolding in front of the Campanile building. The incident occurred at 3:38 a.m. last Sunday. The video shows the vehicle hitting a median, skidding into a light pole, and then slamming straight into the covered walkway structure. 

The severe collision sent heavy debris and scaffolding materials crashing onto the street. Emergency cleanup crews rushed to the scene and managed to remove most of the wreckage, allowing the intersection to completely reopen by last Sunday evening. A contractor working on site noted that car parts and fluid stains were found leading up to the sidewalk where the downed light pole lay. No injuries were reported from the crash. 

Atlanta driver charges

What we don't know:

Authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the driver or what caused the motorist to lose control of the vehicle. Law enforcement officials have not stated if the driver will face criminal charges or citations regarding the destruction of the property. 

Stalled Campanile development

The backstory:

The building at the center of the incident is a 20-story high-rise construction site located at 14th and Peachtree streets across from Colony Square along Peachtree Street NE. The property was purchased for a massive renovation project, but work has sat unfinished for more than five years. The building has gone mostly idle, leaving it stripped to its concrete bones and exposed to the elements. City officials note that the development permits for the site officially expired last year. 

In May, the Department of City Planning officially declared the construction site dangerous and unsafe because an unsecured construction barrier created hazards for pedestrian access. The lack of progress prompted the city council in June to make the building at 1155 Peachtree Street the first target of a new ordinance to hit blighted properties with a 25X property tax increase to discourage leaving problem properties unaddressed. Neighbors say the site has been a problematic eyesore for years, prompting community member Gary Freedman to launch an online petition demanding transparency and immediate safety restoration that gathered more than 3,200 signatures by last Sunday evening. 

Community safety concerns

What they're saying:

Local residents expressed a mix of shock and validation after learning that a vehicle brought down the sidewalk covering. Neighborhood resident Patrick Turner, who has lived in the area for more than seven years, explained that he was surprised it took this long for an incident to happen. 

"It has been in this state for at least 3 years now and my first thought was that I hope no one got hurt. My second thought was that I'm surprised it took this long before something happened," Turner said. "We don't see anyone coming around checking on things, doing work on the building. It's concerning how long will it be stable and how long will it remain safe." 

Heidi Floyd, a neighbor who walks past the skeletal tower every single day, expressed her deep frustration with the lack of visible maintenance or project progress. 

"I understand construction. I'm from Chicago, something is almost always under construction. I get that," Floyd said. "It's a process. It works as long as there's progress being made, and this seems to be the opposite of progress." 

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