Woman drives car into Buffalo Grove townhouse

Firefighters from across Lake and Cook counties rushed to prevent a building collapse in Buffalo Grove Friday after a 65-year-old woman crashed her car into a townhouse garage, authorities said.

The white Hyundai Sonata struck a support column for the two-story building on the 1100 block of Ranchview Court about 10:30 a.m., Buffalo Grove Battalion Chief Shawn Collins said.

"It made the second floor unstable," he said.

Buffalo Grove activated a box alarm to bring more personnel.

Crews spent less than an hour stabilizing the eight-unit building before removing the car. Two of the four units on the building's south side were left uninhabitable, displacing two residents, Collins said.

No one was home in either unit at the time of the impact.

The driver was pulling out of a nearby shopping center facing McHenry Road and attempting to turn right on Ranchview Court when she later told police the car "suddenly accelerated," Sgt. Vince Positano said.

She received medical treatment at the site and declined to be taken to a hospital, fire officials said.