Customers inside a Winnipeg 7-Eleven Saturday night are thankful to be alive after a 23-year-old man driving a pickup truck crashed through the front window, and into the middle of the convenience store.
“I was getting a slurpee at 7-Eleven all of the sudden the building starts to shake and this F-150 is coming at me, dodged, ran out of the way, Lucky to be alive right now,” said customer Matthew MacCorby.
MacCorby said the truck missed him by five feet. When the truck came crashing through, it hit a table, possibly saving MacCorby’s life.
“The table slid into me. If that table wasn’t there I don’t think I'd be there right now,” he said Saturday night, visibly shaken.
Winnipeg police said the man experienced a medical issue and as a result the truck accelerated and veered off the road around 8:45 pm.
The 7-Eleven store is located on St. Anne’s Road near Woodydell Avenue.
Keenan Flamand went to the store to get some food and hang out. He was pushing the door open to leave when the truck drove right past him.
“I’m really surprised I don’t have any cuts on me or anything, cause it was really really close to hitting me, Flamand said Friday night.
“My heart was beating really fast, and then the customers were like we need to get out of the store,” said Flamand.
Officers can’t confirm how many people were inside the store at the time of the crash, and said statistics on the number of crashes related to medical issue was not readily available.
“It’s typically not what we see as a contributing factor to a motor vehicle collision,” said Const. Rob Carver.
Fire crews said they were initially called to the scene because of smoke.
Both customers who escaped the crash, said it appeared the driver’s foot continued to push on the peddle even after the truck came to a stop, causing a tire to explode.
Sunday, the burning smell from the rubber lingered in the store and around the entrance. Tired marks remained on the floor and products littered throughout the store.
District Chief Kevin Phelps said Saturday night emergency responders searched the store to make sure everyone was out safely. Crews found the driver and extricated him from the truck.
“We were so so lucky that there was no one else in front of that vehicle when it entered the store. I can only say that this was one of the most fortunate incidents we’ve ever had,” said Phelps.
Due to privacy laws, Winnipeg police said it cannot comment on the specifics of the medical issue.
No charges will be laid.
The driver of the truck is in stable condition.
Police said damages to the 7-Eleven are estimated at $100,000.
