One person was killed and multiple others were injured after a car crash in Maine sent a vehicle careening into a hair salon.
The collision happened on Lisbon Street in Lewiston around 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, Nov. 15, according to a news release from police.
Authorities said two vehicles — a Jeep Wrangler and a Ford F-150 — were traveling along the roadway when they collided after an improper lane change. The Ford struck a utility pole, while the Jeep crashed into JD Cuts Hair Salon.
The Ford’s driver, 70-year-old Lawrence Williams, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said “several” people inside the salon suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
When reached for additional comment on Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Lewiston Police Department referred inquiries to its written statement.
Samantha Lagasse, a hairdresser at the salon, told CBS affiliate WGME that the Jeep slammed into the building while she was standing at her styling chair. Her co-worker, Jessica White, became trapped under debris, and Lagasse said she “had to push the building up off” her to free her.
According to a GoFundMe campaign created to support White after the crash, she was at her station when she was struck. She sustained serious injuries, including four broken ribs on her left side, a partially collapsed left lung, spinal fractures and a large hematoma on her left leg.
“When first responders arrived, she was found outside in the driveway, still in her chair, buried under pieces of the salon that had collapsed around her,” wrote Jessica Dunnington, identified by WGME as the salon’s owner.
In a post on her business’s Facebook page, White said she feels “lucky to be alive.” She also shared photos of the aftermath, which showed the front of the salon nearly destroyed and debris scattered across the parking lot.
Although Dunnington said on GoFundMe that White “has a long road ahead” in her recovery, she described her as “strong” and “surrounded by people who love her.”
“Anyone who knows Jessica knows her kindness, her passion for her work, and the way she makes every person who sits in her chair feel cared for and valued,” Dunnington wrote. “She has poured her heart into her clients and her career — and now she needs our support.”
A separate GoFundMe has been organized for customer Tammy Rinesmith, who was visiting the salon at the time of the crash. She is expected to face up to six weeks of recovery after suffering five broken ribs and an injured ankle.
“We are so grateful she survived, but she now faces weeks of pain, recovery, and stress,” Dunnington wrote in the fundraiser description, noting that Rinesmith “is unable to work” while she heals.
In another Facebook post that included footage of the damage, Dunnington told JD Cuts’ customers, “we deeply appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support” as repairs to the building move forward.
The crash comes at an especially difficult time for Dunnington, who is living with stage 4 breast cancer, while her husband has a brain tumor, according to WGME.
“She would give anything to anyone. I love her,” Lagasse said of Dunnington. “It’s really sad for everything happening to her, between that and now this happening.”
Sergeant Craig Johnson of the Lewiston Police Department said the crash remains under investigation, according to ABC affiliate WMTW.
