Car slams into Groveland senior living facility, 83-year-old driver and resident hurt
GROVELAND - At least two people were seriously hurt when an SUV slammed into a senior living facility in Groveland Monday morning.
Police told WBZ-TV an 83-year-old man who lives at the facility was driving the Lexus when it crashed into an apartment at Woodburn Manor, the main residential building at Nichols Village just before 11 a.m. Firefighters needed the so-called "jaws of life" rescue tools to get him out of the car, which severely damaged the wall.
An 84-year-old woman who was sitting in the apartment at the time of the crash was thrown 10 feet. She ended up with multiple injuries.
Both were taken to Lawrence Hospital and are expected to survive. A third person was treated at the scene.
"I was in the living room, and all of a sudden, I heard this big - like a boom," said resident Joanne Drinan, who was on the second floor when the SUV struck. "I wasn't sure what it was. It didn't sound like a crash, but I looked out in the hallway. I didn't see anything, and then, I looked out the window. And at first, I thought the fire pit that's gas operated had exploded because there was such debris in the courtyard there."
Authorities were unable to move the car until the building was evaluated for stability. The architectural engineer who designed the building determined it was stable and the car was removed about three hours after the crash.
The building was deemed sound with only the residents of the unit that was struck and the unit above unable to return to their homes.
"We are collaborating with the public safety officials on the scene to secure the building, and we will work closely with the affected residents and family members to support them through this time," said Jered Stewart, president and CEO of Bethany Community Services, Inc., which manages Nichols Village.
John and Joanne Drinan, who live in the unit above, will not be able to return to their apartment. While John Drinan said he'd like to go home to take a nap, his sympathy is with the driver. "He's just had a rough nine months between his wife's death and this. I feel very bad for him," he said.
It's not clear yet what caused the crash.