QUEENS — A car crashed into a the wall of a rooftop parking lot on Austin Street Sunday evening, ripping a hole in it and sending dozens of bricks falling onto a busy sidewalk Sunday evening, officials and witnesses said.
The incident occurred just after 8 p.m. atop a two-story commercial building housing several businesses, including Exo Cafe, a Lucille Roberts gym and PM Pediatrics.
Sources at the scene said that the valet accidentally hit the gas instead of the break, causing the car to smash into the wall.
A representative for the parking lot declined to comment.
No one was injured in the crash and the driver refused medical attention, but the falling bricks damaged three cars, according to fire and police officials.
“It was scary," said Enara Roy, 16, a clerk at Vanilla Sky, a frozen yogurt store across the street. "It’s such a busy street, it’s a miracle no one was there."
Department of Buildings spokesman Alexander Schnell said the building is sound but a partial vacate order was issued for Exo Cafe at 70-20 Austin Street and for a section of the parking garage near the affected area.
Both Exo Cafe and the gym next door were closed Monday morning and the sidewalk in front of the two businesses was closed to pedestrians.
A building manager, who did not want to be identified, said that a sidewalk shed will soon be constructed to protect pedestrians while the wall is being fixed.
Neither representatives for the Forest Hills Lucille Roberts nor for Exo Cafe were immediately available for comment.
Last year, Exo Cafe also sustained significant damage when it was hit by a stream of snow, ice and debris launched by an out-of-control city plow.