Jeep Grand Cherokee Crashes at Auction, Killing 3 and Injuring 9
An auction employee in his 70s apparently drove the Jeep into at least a dozen people before putting it through a wall.
In a report by the Associated Press, a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was being shown off at a car auction in Billerica, Massachusetts on Wednesday tragically accelerated into a crowd of people. Three people were killed and nine more were injured, two of whom had injuries classified as life-threatening, according to the report.
According to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, a LynnWay Auto Auction employee in his 70s was driving the Jeep down a lane on display to potential buyers when it "suddenly accelerated and struck several people." At the time of the accideaccidentnt, several hundred people were in the building.
Speaking to WCVB-TV, auction employee Woody Tuttle said the building consisted of eight lanes for vehicles on auction line up while hundreds of spectators and potential buyers stood between the lanes when the Cherokee accelerated suddenly. "I heard a screeching of tires, and, I believe, a Jeep Cherokee went flying by me...[the driver] avoided the cars, and went on to hit the people who were standing between the cars," said Tuttle. It was then that the SUV punched a hole through a wall and ended up in the loading area outside.
Fortunately, the emergency response—including ambulances from multiple neighboring towns—was prompt, as four police officers and a firefighter were already stationed at the building to manage the weekly crowds that apparently show up every Wednesday.
The town of Billerica is located about 20 miles northwest of Boston. As of this report's writing, Massachusetts State Police are continuing to investigate and attempting to reconstruct this tragic accident.
