A small pickup truck crashed overnight into Riverside School in northern Lawrence, damaging a classroom.

The driver, Tristan Westphal, 23, Lawrence, was taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where he was being treated for facial injuries, according to Lawrence Police.

The white 1998 Nissan pickup truck was traveling west on Riverridge Road and missed the stop at the “T” intersection with Iowa Street, came through the school’s driveway and ran into the school, 601 N. Iowa.

Police became aware of the accident about 12:08 a.m. Thursday when a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy answered a call about a person breaking into a residence nearby.

The sheriff’s deputy found Westphal near the scene of the accident and determined that he had been injured in an accident. A Lawrence police officer found the pickup truck inside the classroom.

Lawrence police said the pickup truck had crashed through the east wall of the building, stopping at the interior west wall of the classroom. Extensive damage was done.

Police said they were investigating whether alcohol may have contributed to the accident.

David Theilen, the elementary school’s principal, said that despite the damage to the school, he decided to hold classes Thursday at the school.

Theilen said the pickup crashed through the front wall of the school and hit the back wall of a classroom. The classroom was used for special education and for special reading and math programs. Those programs will be held in a different classroom, Theilen said.

Out of concern over what the crash did to the structural integrity of the building, a nearby kindergarten class was moved to the library, he said.

The school has about 125 students.

Tim Carpenter and Mike Belt, Journal-World writers, and Janet Reid, 6News reporter, provided information for this story.