By Peggy Fox
WUSA9
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 100 needy people were standing in line at a building in Columbia Heights area of D.C., to receive free produce distributed by the non-profit Change Inc., when suddenly, a black SUV plowed up onto a curb and slammed into four people. The victims were taken to a hospital and witnesses were left shaken.
“I saw a lady, pinned up to the wall and the car still on her. People bleeding, and another lady, there were at least two others laying on the ground, hurt,” said Anita Gardner.
One of the injured had just been talking to two friends when she left to get in line for food.
“Next thing I know, there was a lot of impact, and there was a lot of hollering. I walked around and she was laying on the ground,” said Joyce Mobley. “I pray to God my friend is all right.”
Fire and rescue officials say the most serious injury among the four victims is a broken femur. Metropolitan police are investigating the crash. Witnesses say the woman wearing black was given a field sobriety test and appeared to pass it.
There were two small children and there were three adult women in the SUV: the woman in black, a women wearing shorts, who appeared to be the children’s mother, and a woman with a cane who appeared to be blind. She was escorted away from the scene.
Witnesses say they’ve seen the driver here before coming into the alley where people are standing.
“When she comes, she needs to bump her horn, give some kind of signal, something to let people know that she’d coming through,” said Mobley.
Ann Goldring said, “This lady does this every Wednesday and they tell her not to come down here. She comes anyways and today she just hit four people.”
The free food is distributed by the non-profit Change Inc. Its director, Gracie Rolling tells 9NewsNow she’s hoping the police department can help slow down or stop cars from driving through the alley on Wednesdays when the food is given out.
The produce comes from the Capital Area Food Bank.
Reprinted with permission of WUSA9