A routine shopping day at a Canton Township Walmart turned into a scene of destruction when an SUV barreled through the store's walls, injuring at least five people, as reported by The Detroit News. The chaos ensued shortly after 1:30 p.m. Friday when the vehicle, driven by an unidentified woman, crashed approximately 45 feet into the retail space located on Ford Road.
Witnesses inside the store were left reeling from the sudden impact, "I thought it was a bomb that went off," Mary Kubik, a Detroit resident who nearly escaped the crash, told The Detroit News, recounting the loud bang and the sensation of a whoosh passing her; amidst the overwhelming sights and sounds, her first thoughts were of locating her mother and helping others, including a limp baby with a bruised forehead she discovered in the aftermath. Meanwhile, footage circulated on social media showed the jarring aftermath inside the store, with scattered shelving and debris lining the floor around the black Jeep SUV.
The Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh in a statement indicated they are exploring all possibilities for the accident, including potential medical causes, "Typically in these situations, they ... tend to be medical related, but we're not certain at this point," Baugh said, as per The Detroit News. At least five individuals, including a baby and a three-year-old child, were confirmed injured according to the Detroit Free Press. First responders from Canton, Livonia, Plymouth, and Westland were on the scene assisting those hurt, as stated by the Canton Public Safety Department, but thus far, none of the injuries have been reported as life-threatening.
Local witness Lisa Iller, deeply affected by the event, recounted to ClickOnDetroit her frantic search for the injured baby's mother, "I didn’t know where mom was," Iller said. "I thought her mom was under the shelves, and I was scared for her. I was afraid she might not make it." The baby was promptly taken to hospital care while the store swiftly evolved into a hub of rescue efforts, Walmart workers and fellow shoppers alike contributing to the emergency response a sentiment echoed by Interviewee Passion who lamented the situation, stating, "It was scary," according to ClickOnDetroit.
As of Friday night, the store remained closed with a deserted parking lot, save for a few customers being turned away by store employees, while police continued to process the scene and a Walmart spokesperson has yet to comment on the crash.
