1 Dead, 2 Injured After Vehicle Crashes Into Washington Co. Medical Building
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WASHINGTON (KDKA) – One person is dead after a vehicle crashed into a medical building in Washington County on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Washington Health System, the crash happened shortly after noon at the Neighbor Health outpatient center along Leonard Avenue.
The vehicle crashed through a side wall and went into the patient registration area where a female registration desk employee was killed when she became trapped under the SUV. Authorities are identifying her as 57-year-old Kimberly Dollard from Washington.
Sources confirm this is 57 year old Kimberly Dollard. Prayers to her family tonight. @KDKA #KDKA pic.twitter.com/qCag4HSONz
— Amy Wadas (@AmyWadas) June 6, 2018
Two other people, including the driver and a patient at the facility, were injured in the incident. The driver was taken to Washington Hospital and the patient who was injured went to a hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment. There's no word on their conditions.
"A patient that was inside being registered to see a doctor was injured. He was flown to Pittsburgh," said Lt. Dan Stanek, of the City of Washington Police Department.
The vehicle was seen traveling north at a high rate of speed on Sharp Avenue prior to the crash. At the bottom of a hill, the vehicle went airborne, over some bushes and into the building.
"It sounded like someone hit the pothole on this road really, really hard, like real hard, like a truck," said Mary Dewitt, a neighbor.
Police said Chad Spence, 43, was driving the vehicle. They said he lives in Weirton, West Virginia, and was coming to the facility for a doctor's appointment. No one else was inside the car.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
"Right now, we don't really know whether it was something mechanical with the vehicle, whether it was an intentional act, whether it was a medical issue with the driver and/or some type of impairment. So, those are questions we're going to try to answer," said Lt. Stanek.
Friends said Wednesday was supposed to be Dollard's last day of work before leaving for Mexico on Thursday to attend her son's wedding on Saturday.
The Washington Health System released a statement, saying in part:
"We are extremely saddened to state that a member of our Patient Access Department was fatally injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and co-workers of our employee tonight. No other members of our team were injured."
Patients said Dollard has worked at the facility's desk, a place where patients go before they get lab testing, for the past 20 years. They said she was very friendly and kind.
The SUV was pulled out of the building just after 4 p.m., and the large hole was boarded up until it can be repaired.
City of Washington Police and state police are investigating the crash.
Police said Spence has a lengthy criminal history. Charges range from firearms and drug violations to endangering the welfare of children and DUI. However, police don't know the cause of Wednesday's crash. They are reviewing surveillance video to determine what happened.
It is unclear when the building will re-open.