JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Video from a dash-mounted camera on board a sand truck captures the moment the truck collided with another car and then barreled into the Bennett’s Ace Hardware on Jacksonville’s Westside.
The truck is seen driving along West Beaver Street, crossing the intersection of Cahoon Street, with a green light. The truck then collides with a car that had entered the intersection, before veering off to the right and plowing into the hardware store.
An additional video from a nearby store also shows the crash. Seconds later, people ran toward the scene.
A man who rushed to help described what he saw.
“There was an infant in the passenger front seat of the car that pulled out in front of the semi,” said the man, who asked not to be identified. “And there was an off-duty nurse holding the baby’s head. We tried to open the door, but we couldn’t pull the door open. So, we left the car alone with her holding the baby’s head. Paramedics started showing up and as soon as they got on site, we backed off.”
The crash occurred Friday evening, and the crashed semitruck on Wednesday still remained in the building behind makeshift wooden barriers, which were put in place hours after the wreck that sent five people to hospitals.
It’s unclear when the truck will finally be removed, but “no trespassing” signs have been added outside the building. There’s also a red sign that reads “condemned.”
Notably, an investigator who was at the scene of the crash said the building was believed to be a total loss.