The Valley Regional Fire Authority transported an 18-year-old man to Auburn Regional Medical Center shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday with non-life threatening injuries after a van struck him as he waited on the sidewalk for a bus east of the Auburn Justice Center in the 400 block of East Main Street.
According to Auburn Police Sgt. David Colglazier, the Ford Aerostar, driven by an Auburn woman in her late 70s, continued west after striking the man on the north side of East Main, hit a light pole, clipped the bumper on a second vehicle and careened down the street before striking some signs and smashing through the plate glass of the Auburn Valley Barber Shop, spraying the shop’s owner and a customer with debris.
The driver said she had passed out while she was driving to a medical appointment downtown and had no idea what had happened. The woman’s 60-something husband, who was a passenger, was transported to Auburn Regional with non-life threatening injuries. Their granddaughter also was in the van and was not hurt.
Police reported minor injuries to the shop’s owner and his customer.
The barber shop was evacuated until building inspectors could determine if it was safe to enter.
Police did not release the names of any persons involved.
Jason Herd, 26 saw it all unfold as he stood in front of Zola’s Coffee at 402 E. Main just east of the Auburn Justice Center.
“I was looking to the left, and there was a guy just standing there, and I saw a van coming close to him, driving down the street,” Herd recalled. “All of a sudden, the van hopped the curb and smacked into the guy, and he went flying into the air. Then it hit another car and knocked the bumper off and knocked down a street pole. I guess the driver’s foot was on the gas because she picked up speed.”
Herd said the van west west before running up on the curb on the south side of East Main near the entrance to the parking lot of the Justice Center, flattened some signs and hit the barber shop. Herd said he ran up to the van to see if everybody was all right.
“I could see that she was an older lady who had fallen asleep at the wheel. There was a kid in the car, but she was strapped in and not hurt. The older man was in shock and wasn’t saying anything,” Herd said.
Colglazier said it was too early to tell what had happened.
“She hasn’t given an explanation,” Colglazier said.
