BALTIMORE — There's no way out for the 50 cars trapped inside the parking garage at One East Pratt Street.
Luckily, no one was hurt when a parking garage near Baltimore's Inner Harbor partially collapsed Friday morning, according to authorities.
The collapse happened shortly before 10 a.m. on the ground level and second floor of the parking garage.
The Fire Department's Special Operations unit found no signs of anyone trapped or hurt during an initial scan and floor-by-floor search of the garage, Assistant Chief Dante Stewart said.
The collapse has caused a headache for people's whose cars are still inside.
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"I'm stuck here," said Scott McConnell. "I called the garage and they don’t want to reimburse me, give me a rental car or provide for a hotel room. I don't know how I'm going to get home."
For McConnell, and other drivers, it's frustrating.
McConnell works in Baltimore but lives 70 miles away in Pennsylvania.
"I have a monthly pass," he said.
McConnell had just pulled into a parking space when he witnessed the collapse.
"I no sooner put the car in park and I saw the whole ceiling come down," he said.
The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.
City documents show there are open construction permits on the gargage and that a recent ramp was constructed. The structure's last inspection was back in 2017.
The company that owns the garage, Banyan Street Capital sent WMAR-2 News this statement:
“We are aware of the incident at One East Pratt in which part of a parking deck ramp collapsed. As a safety precaution, we have secured the surrounding area and closed all entry points into the garage. At this time, there are no bodily injuries and no known vehicular damage. We are cooperating with a structural engineer with the City of Baltimore, who is onsite to determine the cause of the partial ramp collapse."
Earlier in the day, building engineers were on scene along with building inspectors.
"It's heartbreaking to see," said Maximus Saneca. "I live nearby. This is going to cause an issue for parking and traffic."
None of the estimated 50 vehicles parked inside the garage sustained any damage.
"We can’t get in there to get our stuff," said McConnell. "I’ve got a computer and some other stuff I want to get out of the car and I can’t get to it."
People who have cars in the garage should contact S&P Plus to figure out when and how they can get their cars. To contact them, click this link.
