Nicoletta Niosi

Seven cars were discovered compacted in the Alumni Place parking lot behind The Wheel Pizza Company, 507 W. 14th St. The KU Parking Department blocked off an area of spaces on the south side of the parking lot. Ice had formed on the pavement after water dripped from pipes at a nearby apartment complex.

The Alumni Place parking lot looked like a miniature demolition derby arena yesterday morning.

Seven cars were found compacted into each other on an icy incline on the south side of the lot, which is located south of The Wheel Pizza Company, 507 W. 14th St.

Water was trickling into the parking lot yesterday morning from a pipe behind Kinney Coach apartments, 1430 Louisiana St., which was west of the collision.

The pipe was connected to drainage pipes from the apartments and a device in the ground.

Warren Zimmerman, owner of Kinney Coach apartments, was unavailable for comment.

David Gage, owner of Gage Management Services and Emery Place Apartments, said that water had flowed downhill from the University of Kansas campus. Emery Place Apartments is directly east of Kinney Coach apartments.

Gage said that eight years ago, water flowed from the University into the parking lot of Emery Place apartments at 1419 Ohio St., which are adjacent to the Alumni Place arking lot.

“The ice gets to be three inches thick in the winter,” Gage said of the Emery Place parking lot.

The University fixed the problem five years ago, but the leaks began again in November, he said.

To keep icy areas safe, the Parking Department puts sand on icy areas by request or complaint, said Shima Ortiz, KU parking field student supervisor.

“We’re doing our best to sand the ice,” said Jamie Nishimura, Mililani, Hawaii, sophomore and KU Parking Department worker. “We might rope off that area.”

Ortiz called students whose cars were involved in the accident as well as two other students who parked near the accident and were in danger of sliding.

The KU Public Safety Office and the KU Parking Department worked beginning about 10:30 a.m. to remove the cars from the icy area. The area was blocked off later that afternoon.

No one was injured in the pile-up.