Car crashes in front of Tribune Tower

Authorities are looking for an apparent drunken driver who crashed a car into a concrete wall and jumped the sidewalk coming to rest outside the front doors of the Tribune Tower this morning, according to police and a doorman.

“I just heard a big bang,’’ said a Tribune Tower doorman, who then spotted the older model beige-colored Lexus travel off the road and up onto the sidewalk, stopping in front of the historic building at 435 N. Michigan Avenue.

After the 4:30 a.m. crash, the driver got out and went inside the lobby briefly, assuring staffers he wasn’t hurt, the doorman said. He grabbed his keys and walked away northbound after telling the doorman he didn’t want to see the police because he “was drunk.’’

“I said dude, are you sure you’re OK?” the doorman said. The driver, who appeared to be in his 30s, said he was. The doorman saw him once more, walking the other way.

The Lexus was northbound on Michigan when its passenger side front end slammed into the corner of a concrete wall surrounding stairs leading to lower Michigan Avenue on the east side of the street, leaving one corner crumbled, and shattered glass and pieces of the car’s front end scattered about.

Once on the sidewalk, it traveled in an arc, narrowly missing a fire hydrant, two trash receptacles, and the Tribune building itself before coming to rest, with its airbags deployed.

Police News Affairs Officer Ronald Gaines said no injuries were reported and confirmed the driver fled the scene on foot.

Two district officers seated in a cruiser on the scene after the car had been towed said they were investigating it as a property damage crash and still hadn’t found the motorist as of about 5:30 a.m.