SALEM, Mass. — A driver making a sudden left turn onto Read St. in Salem caused a chain-reaction crash that resulted in a car and tow truck slamming into a storefront, the Salem Police Department said.
The Castle Hill Mini Mart at 280 Jefferson Ave. suffered extensive façade damage after it was struck by a sedan and a Bill’s Auto Clinic tow truck around 5 p.m. Friday. The two drivers suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said. A worker inside the store was not hurt.
“It sounded like a really loud thud, like what cars sound like when they hit each other. It was loud,” said neighbor Cedric Ashley, Sr. “I knew it was a car, but I didn’t realize it was a tow truck going into the store.”
According to police, a driver heading north on Jefferson Ave tried to make a sudden left turn onto Read St. The tow truck driver behind the car didn’t have time to stop and veered into the store to avoid a collision. A car traveling in the opposite direction on Jefferson also swerved into the liquor store to avoid hitting the tow truck, police said.
Neighbors who live along Jefferson Ave. said this can be a treacherous stretch of road.
“It’s congested and people drive too fast. It’s definitely a big problem,” Silvia Bammes said.
“They speed constantly up and down the street. The traffic light isn’t even a deterrent for them,” Ashley, Sr. said.
Police said the initial driver that caused the chain-reaction will be given a citation.
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