Video from a security camera outside the Shenandoah Community Ambulance building shows a tractor-trailer coming down Route 924 Friday morning. The driver loses control on the snowy road, sliding right through the intersection of Main Street and Washington Street and skidding toward the ambulance building.
Several EMTs were inside who had just gotten back from a call when all of a sudden, they heard a loud bang. They ran outside to see what happened and found a tractor-trailer jackknifed right up against their building.
"It took out our flagpole and a light post for the department, so thankfully no one was hurt. He tapped the building. He didn't actually do significant damage," J.J. Palushock said. "We were in the break room in the kitchen area, and we heard a loud crash. We came outside and saw the tractor-trailer jackknifed right in front of our building."
Palushock says the crew had gotten back to the building just minutes before the crash. You can see marks left behind from the hinges of the trailer on the front of the building.
The EMTs tell Newswatch 16 they're just glad that there were no people walking around at that time or cars stopped at the traffic light at the intersection during that busy time of morning.
"It was interesting. We were scared but thank God the driver wasn't injured. That is the first thing we did, went out and made sure he was OK. And thank God there wasn't a car coming either because he went right through."
Staff at the Shenandoah Community Ambulance are thankful the building is still standing. They say it could have been a lot worse.
"It was an empty truck, so if it had been a full load, I don't think he would have stopped like he did. He would have gone right through our building."
No one from Shenandoah police was available to talk about whether any charges will be filed against the truck driver.