4 injured after driver crashes into medical building

JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Emergency officials in Jackson County confirmed on Wednesday that a driver has crashed into a medical building in Ripley, West Virginia, trapping several people.

According to the Ripley Volunteer Fire Department, the incident happened at the CAMC telemedicine building on Clay Lick Road in Ripley.

Fire officials on scene say three people have been transported to the hospital.

All three people became trapped under the vehicle during the incident.

The emergency call came in around 10:49 a.m., dispatchers say.

Crews are working to make sure the building is structurally secure before moving the car.

Clay Lick Road will be shut down for about an hour.

Tony Spurlock lives in an apartment next to the scene of the crash.

“I heard a car revving,” he said. “I heard a crash. It happened within a second or two. It sounded like someone must have given a lot of gas.”

Spurlock also says he heard a woman screaming.

“It was like a blood-curdling scream,” he said. “Her scream scared me more than anything.”

After emergency crews arrived, Ripley’s Volunteer Fire Chief says when they arrived, the found three victims, trapped under the vehicle.

Crews immediately jumped into action.

“Rescue operations immediately began with crews assisting with patient care with EMS, and law enforcement assisting the fire department,” said Ripley Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jonathan Mitchell.

He said while crews worked to rescue the three victims, there was concern about the building coming down, so they called for help.

“So we called in for Charleston, South Charleston’s U-SAR team for structural collapse to assist in ensuring the building before we remove the vehicle so we don’t have any additional collapse,” he said.

Crews were able to rescue all three victims within about 20 minutes. They were all taken to the hospital, but there is no word on their conditions.

The driver of the vehicle was treated for minor injuries.

The fire chief says there is no word yet on what caused the driver to crash into the building.

A representative from CAMC said no employees were hurt during the incident and engineers will be taking a look at the building to see if and when the clinic can reopen.

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