Attleboro business shut by a crash
STU SKERKER / For THE SUN CHRONICLE
A view from inside the office area of 1-2-3 Service at 300 County St. at County Square after a car smashed into the building around 8:49 a.m., Saturday. A man standing in this area had to jump out of the way of the car when he spotted it coming towards the building. The full service gas station is closed until a structural engineer can determine if the building is safe.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
ATTLEBORO - A customer waiting for an oil change in the office of a Country Square service station had to leap out of the way to avoid injury when a car crashed into the building Saturday morning.
The customer, according to employees of 1-2-3 Service located at 300 County St., had to jump out of the way when the car, reportedly driven by an elderly woman, struck the front of the station around 8:49 a.m. The driver of the car suffered unspecified injuries.
Richard Barrett, an employee of the station since 2001, said he was pumping gas when he heard a vehicle honk its horn and saw a car he believes was a Toyota Camry lurch from County Square and slam into the building.
"I didn't know which way it was going," Barrett said.
He said the elderly woman behind the wheel was "hysterical."
Barrett said he didn't know if the car was going to bounce off the building and come towards the nearby gas pumps.
Following the crash, Barrett said two or three people ran towards the car to help the woman and calm her down until police and firefighters arrived on the scene.
He said the customer waiting in the office saw the car heading for the building and was able to jump out of the way.
An employee working on the oil change in the middle of the three service bays was uninjured. Had he been working in the bay closest to the office, he might have been hit by concrete cinderblocks that were strewn throughout the bay.
Attleboro Fire Department Capt. Michael Maitland said the driver of the vehicle was quickly extricated from the four-door sedan. He said she suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital for treatment.
He said the building suffered extensive cracks to the concrete and load-bearing sections of the building.
He said a city building inspector was called to the scene and ordered the building closed until engineers can determine if the building is safe.
Saturday afternoon employees were greeting regular customers and explaining what happened, while carpenters were busy putting up plywood and securing the building.
Barrett said he has contracted with a structural engineer who will be tour the site Monday.
As he looked over the damage, Barrett said "I'm glad it wasn't the pumps."
Police said the name of the woman was unavailable pending the completion of their report.
Employees were greeting regular customers explaining what happened, while carpenters were busy putting up plywood and securing the building.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/attleboro-business-shut-by-a-crash/article_fbe733da-e509-5d9a-8fa9-e958bf4b5a59.html
Since the article fails to provide the model year of the TOYOTA CAMRY, here's a list of Speed Control Complaints for the last 15 years:
1990 - 2015 TOYOTA CAMRY Vehicle Speed Control Problems
