A dump truck crash on Wednesday afternoon left two people injured and caused visible damage to a Target store in South Huntsville after the vehicle reportedly experienced a mechanical brake failure and slammed into a busy intersection.
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on Carl T. Jones Drive near the Ledges Drive intersection. According to Huntsville Police, the dump truck was traveling downhill on Ledges Drive when its brakes malfunctioned, making it unable to stop. WAFF reports that the truck’s brakes failed “on top of a mountain” and it descended “full speed” down Ledges Drive before the crash.
The truck then veered into the intersection and struck a car that was stopped at the traffic light. According to reports, the truck crossed a “six-lane intersection” before hitting the store.
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The driver of the car was not injured, though the vehicle sustained significant damage.
After the impact, the dump truck continued forward and crashed into the Target store in the Jones Valley area, injuring a passenger and trapping the truck’s driver inside the vehicle. Emergency crews from Huntsville Fire and Rescue and the Madison County Rescue Squad worked for nearly two hours to extricate the driver.
HEMSI spokesperson Don Webster told WAFF that one person was taken to Huntsville Hospital Trauma Services. The passenger’s injuries were considered non-life-threatening, and the driver, who was also taken to the hospital, was in stable condition. Webster also noted that one other patient was being evaluated following the crash.
While towing crews worked to remove the vehicle, an awning collapsed on top of the truck, and a large hole was left in the brick wall of the building, according to WHNT.
Despite the damage, the Target on Carl T. Jones Drive remained open, with most of the damage limited to the store’s exterior.
The Huntsville Police Department said the incident remains under investigation. Although there is currently no indication that a crime occurred, a member of the department’s Traffic Homicide Unit was called in due to the severity of the crash to lead the investigation.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
