Driver Did Not Survive Crash Into Clawson United Methodist Church

Driver Did Not Survive Crash Into Clawson United Methodist Church
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 14, 2014)
 
The sign on the church marquee gives the title of this weekend’s sermon at Clawson United Methodist Church “Opening hearts, and minds, and doors.” Just left of the sign is an opening in the side of the church itself where a minivan slammed through the bricks of the wall at about 5pm Friday.  The driver of the minivan, a woman whose age and name have not yet been released, was found dead inside.
Police are still investigating, but Reverend Peggy Garrigues said that the vehicle came speeding up the alley, rode over the curb, hit a pickup truck that had been parked in the church parking lot, smashed a bike rack and then went through the wall.
The woman may have had a medical situation that ended her life, or she may have been killed in the impact.  “We don’t know yet if there was some kind of medical emergency or what happened,” Garrigues said.
Police said more information will be available after their investigation is complete.
The accident opened a hole in the wall of the church’s boiler room. “There were people in the building, but not in that room. No one was hurt. But they heard the loud ‘boom’ and came to look,” Garrigues said. “The police were right there because they had seen the woman driving erratically.  They came up and helped her right away.  It was all very quick.”
Workers were on the scene to board up the hole in the wall and clean up the mess of bricks inside the rooms. They told Garrigues there is no structural damage and the building would be secure within a couple of hours of police wrapping up their work.
“We have insurance for this,” she said. “I am worried about the driver and her family. That’s who we’ll be praying for.”
More information will be added to this article as it becomes available.
NOTE:  The title picture is of a police officer searching the vehicle.

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