A pickup truck crashed into a pharmacy along Lewis Street, Savanna-la-Mar, on Thursday evening, leaving five people seriously injured. Emergency personnel had to rush the injured to the hospital. Among them was the driver of the vehicle, who is believed to have experienced a medical episode moments before the crash.
Initial information from CVM TV, the driver is one of the owners of the pharmacy who drove to the location.
It is understood that he was just about to park the vehicle around 5:20 p.m when he suffered a seizure. It is believed that he lost consciousness moments later, causing the vehicle to veer off the roadway and plough into Phill Box Pharmacy, where several persons were inside at the time.
“The driver of the pickup truck, we actually learned now, is actually one of the owners. He actually drove to the pharmacy and was in the process of parking…His feet actually touched the accelerator, and the vehicle sped inside the pharmacy,” CVM‘s Westmoreland correspondent Hopeton Buckner said.
Several people were caught off guard as the truck barreled into the building. Those hurt are understood to be three customers and a bystander who was in the vicinity when the crash occurred. The victims and the driver were transported to the hospital, where they remain as they continue to receive treatment. The conditions of the victims have been described as serious. One of them is said to have sustained injuries severe enough to possibly require amputation.
Emergency personnel, including firefighters and police, responded swiftly to the freak accident and worked to remove the vehicle from the building. The crash caused extensive damage to the interior of the pharmacy, and the area quickly drew a large crowd as word of the incident spread.
Up to late Thursday, police had not released an official statement, noting that inquiries are still ongoing.
