Truck crashes into Subway

Dec. 27--ALTON -- Three employees received minor injuries Monday when the driver of a pickup crashed through the front of a Subway restaurant in the Washington Square Shopping Center.

Police said the driver, identified as a 53-year-old male, apparently had a medical condition of some kind, and was eventually airlifted to a St. Louis area hospital. Police had not identified him as of Monday afternoon.

The incident is still under investigation, according to Lt. Seth Stinnett of the Alton Police Department.

No customers were in the shop at the time of the crash, which occurred around noon, but store manager Maggie Hinklin said one person had walked out the door about a minute before the truck crashed into the store.

"If this would have been any other day, except the day after Christmas when the banks and stuff are closed, we would have had 30 people standing in line with kids and everything waiting to get lunch," she said. "It could have been a whole lot worse."

She said they were waiting for the start of the lunch rush when the crash occurred.

"Suddenly we heard tires squealing, we looked up and there was a big white pickup truck plowing through the building," she said, describing her reaction as "terror."

The truck plowed into the building all the way to the chip rack at the back wall, and pushed the counters back several feet.

One employee working at the cash register tried to climb over a half-wall to get out of the way, and Hinklin and the other employee pulled her over. The three then escaped out the back as the store filled with smoke.

Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief David Eichen said the driver apparently kept his foot on the accelerator, burning off the rubber on one of the tires. Firefighters had to vent smoke out of the Subway and an adjacent jewelry store.

The two employees were taken to a local hospital, but Hinklin said they only suffered minor injuries. Hinklin said she had also received minor injuries, but had not gone to the hospital as of about 1 p.m.

Adam Gabriel, who is a partner in the franchise, said he was not sure exactly what is going to happen or how long it would take to reopen.

"We're just going to have to wait and see if the driver has insurance, and then talk to our insurance," he said.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.

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