Five people were injured after a truck rammed through the side of a busy Starbucks and caused the building to collapse.
A red Dodge pickup crashed into a Starbucks in McHenry, Illinois, around 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The high-speed collision caused the building to collapse on customers, sending four people to the hospital and injuring one other person who was treated at the scene.
One of the victims ended up trapped beneath the vehicle and was listed to be in critical condition. The remaining three hospitalized victims were listed in fair condition. A witness explained that the store had around two dozen customers when the collision occurred.
Brandon Chaples, a witness of the incident, told WGN, “I saw him basically going like 50 miles per hour from Taco Bell going towards the building. He knocked over the speed limit sign, 35 miles per hour, on this road.”
McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett issued a statement about the incident on Facebook, writing, “I was on scene within a few minutes and witnessed several men and women step into action in this bitter cold to save lives. I have ALWAYS respected the Police, Dispatch and Fire Department for what they do, but today they deserve the most highest respect for how they all handled this situation. Prayers to all of the Starbucks employees and customers who was involved.”
It took officers until 12:15 a.m. Friday morning to remove the truck from the side of the building. The Starbucks location had only been in the area for three months before the collision took place. Authorities are investigating the incident.
