WILLOWICK, Ohio — At least two people have been hospitalized after a parking garage collapsed at the Shoregate Towers apartment building in Willowick on Wednesday.
New photos captured Thursday morning show the extent of the damage as a result of the collapse. You can explore these images in the gallery below...
In our reporting Wednesday night, witnesses told 3News' Lydia Esparra that the two-level garage is currently under construction. One witness told Esparra that the collapse "sounded like an earthquake," and a resident named Jarrodd McDerrmit shared exclusive video of the collapse's aftermath. Police dogs searched the rubble and did not find any additional people inside, and the apartments have been deemed to be safe.
PHOTOS | Parking garage collapses at Willowick apartment complex
3News also captured drone video of the damage, which can be viewed below:
Willowick Mayor Michael Vanni released the following statement to 3News regarding the parking garage collapse:
The collapse of the north parking deck of Shoregate Towers Apartment complex remains under investigation and authority of the Willowick Fire Chief in collaboration with the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office. The City remains committed to the safety of the residents and our safety personnel and will continue to monitor the situation through its fire, police and building officials.
The City will confirm that it has criminally prosecuted the property owners for building code violations in the Willoughby Municipal Court and has worked with several local agencies, including the Lake County Health Department, the Lake County Building Department, Lake Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Fair Housing Resource Center of Lake County to seek compliance for violations on the property. The property owners pled No Contest and were found guilty of 15 building code violations in May 2023. The property owners are currently on probation to the Willoughby Municipal Court requiring mandatory written reporting to the Court every 60 days with status hearings on ongoing repairs to the property. The property owners have filed a Notice of Appeal.
The City will continue to assist Chief Malovrh in his investigation to determine if further charges will be forthcoming. On behalf of the City of Willowick, I want to thank all the surrounding departments and law enforcement personnel who provided mutual aid to the City last night. We are fortunate to have access to such an extensive network of emergency responders in a time of need.
We will continue to update this story as details develop.
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