SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. — A 34-year-old Southbridge man is in serious condition after he careened his car through a local business and into a river Monday afternoon.
Southbridge Police say they responded to the area of Pleasant Street around 1:45 p.m. for a report of a car crash into a building.
Upon arrival, crews observed a black Ford Edge submerged in the McKinstry Brook River and a man who was ejected from the vehicle laying unconscious on the river embankment. Officers and firefighters were able to remove the victim from the embankment and immediately began life-saving measures.
The victim was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center for life-threatening injuries.
Surveillance video shows the car traveling at a high rate of speed and crashing through the business, out the back wall, and into the river behind.
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Police said after interviewing witnesses and reviewing video surveillance in the area, officers were able to determine the vehicle was traveling south on Pleasant Street at a high rate of speed and crashed into the Martial Arts Academy located at the intersection of River and Pleasant Streets.
The vehicle continued to travel through a studio/room in the academy and then crashed through the back side of the building before eventually coming to a final rest in the river. Police said the vehicle burst into flames and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
There were no visible skid marks or any other evidence that the operator of the vehicle attempted to use his brakes indicating that the driver may have been experiencing a medical emergency, according to police.
Fortunately, there was no one inside the academy when the crash occurred and there were no other injuries reported on the scene.
No further information is being provided at this time as family members still need to be notified
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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