Van hits Union Ave building and runs, but resident catches plate number

A van allegedly crashed into the side of an apartment building on Union Ave yesterday, cracking a wall within feet of a sleeping infant and showering the baby with broken drywall. Just as the driver was making his getaway, though, the baby's mother was writing down the license plate.

"She was on the ball big time," said the building's owner, Harry Bean.

Reports from the police department confirm the incident, which occurred at about 3:17 p.m. yesterday. No injuries were reported, and investigation continues into the incident. Reports state that police are seeking a green minivan.

Alyssa Phillips said her daughter Neveah, two and a half months old, was sleeping in one of the bedrooms in their first-floor apartment at 188 Union Ave when she heard a big crash and Neveah started screaming. "I didn't know what happened at first," said Phillips.

Phillips, who also had two other young daughters home at the time, said the first thing she did was check to see if her daughter was alright, then she saw the cracks in the wall. "My wall was caving in — I pulled open my curtains and there was a van banged into the building," she said.

She called 911 and grabbed a piece of paper. As she was standing at the window, copying down the license plate number, she heard the sound of sirens and the driver took off. "They saw me in the window with the paper and they were out."

She'd seen the van in the parking lot before, but only for infrequent, short visits. "We know who lives here and who doesn't," she said. She said the van would usually "stop here for a few minutes and leave."

The impact of the collision left little mark on the vinyl siding on the building's exterior, but the interior wall was cracked and buckled, with gaps in the drywall two inches wide in some places. "They had to be going a good speed," she said, looking at the damage.

Bean said the building is still safe for habitation, but "it is going to take a lot of work" to fix the damage. There are five apartments in the building. He asked, "What kind of bonehead backs into a building and then runs off?"