Reckless driver cartwheels car into side of new police station

Shocking video showing the moment a reckless driver cartwheels his car into the side of a new police station has been released.

The Arlington Heights Police Department footage showed a Volkswagen GTI driving at a "high rate of speed", toward the department's new station in Illinois, when it loses control.

The vehicle can been seen to hit the curb before smashing into concrete structures outside the building and flipping into the side of the police station.

The car first mounted the curb before smashing into concrete structures. Credit: Arlington Heights Police Department

The crash caused "substantial damages to the vehicle, as well as the building that was in its final stages of construction," police said in a statement.

The suspect, described as a 44-year-old male, was rushed to hospital, but his condition has "improved from critical to fair, with none of his injuries expected to be life-threatening."

The car then became airborne, smashing into the side of the police building. Credit: Arlington Heights Police Department

The investigation “revealed evidence linking cocaine and, possibly, prescription drugs to the event,” leading police to announce that "upon release from hospital, the driver will be charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence of drugs, and miscellaneous traffic citations."