Vehicle Crashes into Duluth Elementary School Gymnasium

DULUTH, Minn. — A vehicle crashed into the gym at Myers-Wilkens Elementary Friday, Sept. 13. Thankfully, the gym was empty, and no injuries to students or staff have been reported. However, the two occupants of the vehicle were hospitalized with unknown injuries.

What began as a routine school day changed in an instant. Hugh Witzmann, who lives right across from the school, described the scene.

“I was just kind of waking up for the morning. My roommate started yelling because someone was barreling down the road. We just kind of heard a loud crash—a super loud crash,” Witzmann explained.

From his porch, Witzmann saw smoke rising from the building and teachers scrambling to secure the area.

“It was very hectic. A lot of teachers were on walkie-talkies, saying ‘lockdown the school.’ I heard a couple of kids yelling and screaming. Obviously, they were going pretty fast; they actually jumped into the building,” Witzmann went on to say, “I was just nervous for the kids.”

Remarkably, no one was in the gym at the time of the accident. The two occupants of the vehicle were hospitalized with injuries, and we’re waiting for an update on their conditions.

Another detail of concern is that gym class was set to start in less than five minutes when the accident happened.

“Our gym teacher was actually on the field behind us setting up for some outdoor activities when it occurred. So, luckily, neither they nor the students were in the gym at that time,” said Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas.

Magas went on to say, the school moved quickly to assess the situation.

“This started within an hour of the school day beginning, so we wanted to ensure safety first—securing the scene, making sure everybody was safe, and then focusing on making sure our students and staff were comfortable and able to continue with instruction and the school day.”

He added that the next step is to determine the extent of the damage to the building.

“We’re also having the structure further assessed. Our facilities department was here right away, and now the fire department and others are assessing too,” Magas went on to say, “but there is definitely work to be done now that we have that major hole in the wall,” said Magas.

The gym will remain closed until further notice. Mayor Roger Reinert says initial reports suggest a mechanical failure may have contributed to the accident, though the investigation is still ongoing.