SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) — An investigation is underway after a car smashed into a Subway sandwich shop in Smithfield Wednesday afternoon, killing one person and injuring five others.
First responders rushed to the Apple Valley Mall on Putnam Pike and found the car inside the restaurant with two people pinned underneath it, according to Smithfield Deputy Fire Chief Steven Quattrini.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police, while the driver and four others were rushed to nearby hospitals. Quattrini confirmed that both workers and customers were among the injured.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time, however, Quattrini said it appears the man behind the wheel was driving at a high rate of speed through the parking lot.
Joshua Piti tells 12 News he had just pulled into the parking lot and was minutes away from heading into the sandwich shop to start his shift.
“It was crazy. I couldn’t believe it,” he recalled. “I was just about to go in to work, so it could’ve been me.”
The Subway and the neighboring Planet Fitness were significantly damaged in the crash. Both businesses will remain closed until further notice.
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