Speeding car flips over and slides through front doors of Florida church, video shows
A Florida driver ended up inside a Presbyterian church after he missed a turn, flipped over and slid through the front doors, video released by the Crestview Police Department shows.
It happened at 12:14 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, and the Crestview Fire Department says a “very dynamic” rescue was required to free four people trapped in the car. Crestview is about 50 miles northeast of Pensacola.
“When officers arrived on scene, they observed a vehicle that failed to navigate the turn while traveling south on Ferdon Boulevard, rolled and drove through the front of the First Presbyterian Church,” police said in a news release. “Three of the four were transported for serious injuries.”
The 9-second video, which had been viewed more than 300,000 times as of Feb. 20, shows the vehicle went through a traffic light at a high rate of speed before it jumped the curb, and, ironically enough, smashed through a speed limit sign before flipping onto its roof.
Sparks fly as it slides through the front of the church, coming to rest just inside the entrance. Photos show the front doors were reduced to rubble.
All four occupants were trapped and police and firefighters work 20 minutes on removing all the car’s doors to get them out, officials said.
The 38-year-old driver, who lives in Crestview, was the only one who did not seek medical treatment, police said.
He was arrested at the scene on a charge of “driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in an accident with serious bodily injury,” police said.
Crestview Presbyterian Church reports two of the three injured passengers have already been released from a hospital.
As for the church, its sanctuary and office space are without power and remain off limits until a structural engineer can do a safety inspection, church officials said in a Facebook post. Worship services are being held in the Fellowship Hall until the main building is deemed safe.
This story was originally published February 20, 2023 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Speeding car flips over and slides through front doors of Florida church, video shows."