At least 21 were injured, 18 people were taken to local hospitals.
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FROM: Mysterious Lexus crash. '02-'06 Camrys still not recalled.
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Victims of Fort Myers church crash speak out
CREATED Apr. 21, 2014 - UPDATED: Apr. 21, 2014
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Victims in a Fort Myers crash, where a car smashed into a church Sunday night, are speaking out as police identify the driver accused of causing the chaos.
“Something went POW,” yelled Crismane Mathurn, as she recounted the events of Sunday night.
Mathurn was one of more than 200 other churchgoers, packed inside the Second Haitian Baptist Church during the time of the crash.
Others described the sound of the impact as “deafening.”
“She described it as Haiti, when the earthquake happened – the sound effect,” said Patti Louis.
Louis says both of her parents were inside of the church for the annual Easter concernt, when a 2006 Lexus sedan, driven by Marie Ange Masson went crashing into the building, according to Fort Myers Police.
Police say Masson claims there was a mechanical malfunction, telling police that she attempted to press the break and park the car when it accelerated.
31-year-old Masson is not being charged criminally at this time, but police say the investigation remains active.
FOX 4 exclusively spoke to the owner of the car involved in the crash, he says the car had no known issues.
“There’s nothing wrong with the car,” said Asker Joram, “The break is alright…tires alright…nothing.”
18 people were transported to several area hospitals, four of the injured went as trauma alerts.
The age of the injured ranged from six-years-old to 88-years-old.
None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. None of the patients needed to go into surgery. Most of the injuries were sprains and cuts.
Rescuers used car jacks to lift the vehicle off of people who were trapped.
Many loved ones of those pinned in the wreckage got a call that would even shake the most religious.
“I just asked if my mom was dead or not,” said Dufils Sherilus.
One woman seen heading back to the hospital this morning to visit a family member says she was treated for back and neck pain but was later released.
Today, families of those involved in the crash are thanking a divine being for minimizing what could have been a tragedy to an accident.
“He was sitting in that row (where the car crashed) and then he just sat moved back, because my mom sat behind him...he went to sit with my mom,” said Louis, “Thank God he did get up.”
The Fort Myers Police Department estimates upwards of $10,000 in damage was done to the building in the crash.
http://www.jrn.com/fox4now/news/Driver-in-Fort-Myers-church-crash-identified-256015171.html?lc=Tablet
