Hydrant toppled, church damaged by flooding in Westlake hit-and-run crash

WESTLAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A fire hydrant was knocked from its base in a hit-and-run crash Saturday night, causing water to flood a two-story church building in the Westlake district of Los Angeles.

The crash was reported around 9 p.m. Saturday at 2235 W. Beverly Blvd., at Roselake Avenue, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.

The vehicle that struck the hydrant left the scene, Stewart said.

"However, the water flow from the hydrant is flooding the roof of a two-story, center-hall building," she said. "Large amount of water is accumulating on both floors and damaging the structure."

Firefighters shut down the hydrant and called for help to remove the water from the building, Stewart said. The LAFD also called for an expert to assess the damage and structural stability of the building, she said.

"When I heard a bang, I thought it was an accident, a car accident," said Evelyn Perez, a bookkeeper with Praise Christian Fellowship church. "And then I saw a red pickup speed up towards Temple (Street). All of a sudden, the water sprout out."

No injuries were reported.

City News Service contributed to this report.