COEYMANS, N.Y. - Coeymans Police still have not located the driver of a SUV that crashed into the side of an abandoned building on Sunday morning and left the scene along with a bloody vehicle.
On Monday, police say they believe two people survived the crash, a driver and a passenger that are both unaccounted for. Police say they have been receiving numerous tips since the story aired on NEWS10 Sunday night.
Coeymans Police and the Coeymans Hollow Fire Company were called to an abandoned home on State Route 143 Sunday around 7:30 a.m. when a passerby reported that a motor vehicle had crashed into a vacant building.
When police and fire personnel arrived, they found that a Chevy SUV had crashed through the concrete wall of the building.
The entire front end of the vehicle had gone through the concrete blocks and took out a structural support beam. The rear of the vehicle remained outside of the building. Police say it is a miracle the occupants survived the crash.
Police believe the crash happened sometime between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
When emergency crews checked the vehicle they found that it was unoccupied. There was, however, blood in the vehicle, indicating that someone had been injured.
The Chief of Police says the force of the crash into the concrete block structure was intense, and he credits seatbelts and airbags with likely saving the occupants' lives.
Police and fire personnel searched the immediate area of the crash Sunday unable to locate anyone.
Due to the severity of the accident and the potential for serious injuries police contacted all area hospitals and urgent care facilities to determine if anyone had come in with injuries from a car accident. There were none reported.
Coeymans Police then called upon the Rensselaer County Search and Rescue team for assistance from their blood hounds in searching the rural area for an injured person or persons, but were also unable to find anyone. The NYS Police also sent a helicopter to check the area for any injured persons.
Police have been in contact with the registered owner of the vehicle, Jeff Lukens, who claims he was not operating the car and had been at home.
Evidence and DNA samples have been collected from the scene and the vehicle, and the investigation into who was operating the vehicle, as well as any potential passengers, is ongoing.
Police tell NEWS10 on Monday they have an idea of who they are looking for. Police say there could be charges in this case, one being leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor, and criminal mischief, a felony, for the damage caused to the building.
NEWS10 ABC
