VAN SLAMS INTO TLC BAR THEN FLEES

Elyria – Police are searching for the man who drove a work van into the side of the TLC bar on Clark Street Friday night leaving a giant hole in the building and a lot of shaken patrons inside.

The driver struck the Kipling Street side of the building taking out the wall that leads into the kitchen where people were working. The driver then backed out and fled the scene traveling down Clark Street towards the hospital. Pieces of brick were found on the road as far away as the hospital by Police searching the area.

While Police were investigating the crash they were contacted by the State Patrol who said they believed they had the van on Robert Lane in Carlisle Township.

The driver of the van had turned down Robert Lane from East River and went off the left side of the road where he rolled over a shrub and then came to a stop after striking a utility pole guide wire. Neighbors say by the time they got outside to see what had happened the driver had already fled the area on foot.

Although there was extensive damage to the building nobody was taken to the hospital.

Elyria Firefighters were on scene to examine the damage to see if the structure was sound. A construction crew was on scene about an hour after the crash and sealed up the hole.

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