Woman drives into Sherm's Food 4 Less
MEDFORD, Ore. — A woman is recovering in the hospital after being pulled out of the vehicle she was driving that went through the wall of Sherm's Food 4 Less on Biddle Rd. in Medford.
The Subaru Outback ended up in a storage room empty of employees but full of ice tea and soda beverages.
Food 4 Less employee Katy Giedt tells News 10 she saw members of management running through the store and knew something bad had happened.
"Usually when they run it's serious," Giedt said.
It happened about 12:44pm on a busy Saturday. Witnesses said she was driving through the parking lot when she suddenly entered the side of the building.
Onlookers rushed to the driver's aid including a Medford Police Officer in the parking lot at the time.
"They broke out her window to get to her because all the car doors were locked," Giedt said.
Giedt said she looked to be in her 50's or 60's and in grave condition right after the crash.
"She was gone. They started CPR immediately," Giedt said.
The rescue worked as Medford Fire-Rescue Bat. Chief Erin Sawall said she was transported to the hospital alive.
Her name has not been released as family is being notified of the incident.
"We were able to regain some pulse back. She was transported with pulses on her own to the hospital," Sawall said. "She is still critical and transported to Providence hospital."
What ultimately led to the crash is still unclear.
"We believe she had a medical emergency that led to her striking the building," Sawall said.
The driver's rottweiler mix was also inside the SUV but appeared to be uninjured.
Tow truck workers from Star Body Works took the dog and put him in the cab of their tow truck while the worked to get the vehicle out of the building.
In some instances they had to cut away pieces of the wall to get the SUV pulled out of the building.
Onlookers watched the operation and snapped photos and videos for social media.
Surveillance footage of the crash was handed over to Medford Police for the investigation.
