A car crashed into a church in northwest suburban Crystal Lake Saturday night, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department was called to the scene at Hope Covenant Church at about 8:35 p.m. after hearing reports of a car crashing into a building. When they arrived on the scene, they found the car in the building and its driver outside in the parking lot.
The church, located at 451 Ackman Road, was unoccupied at the time of the crash, fire officials said.
"A young man was coming fast around a bend, went over a medium, bottomed out in our parking lot and then tore and screeched through the parking lot," Pastor Lisa Orris said.
The car traveled down the church hallway past the nursery and into the sanctuary, according to Lisa Orris and Co-Pastor Bill Orris.
The driver, who was the only person in the car, was treated by EMS officials and released at the scene, according to the fire department.
The church was deemed uninhabitable by the fire department due to extensive damage to the walls and ceiling from the crash. The damage is estimated to cost $45,000 to repair.
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The Crystal Lake Police Department, who is investigating the incident, has not released any information.
The church could not hold services inside the building Sunday morning, but worshipers sat under umbrellas in lawn chairs in the church's backyard.
"There's a car in our sanctuary. God's people still show up," Lisa Orris said.
