AVON, Ohio — A 19-year-old Avon man was taken to the hospital after being struck by a vehicle while working at Pickering Hill Farms in the 35600 block of Detroit Road around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Avon Police Department released video of the incident Thursday morning, which shows the moment the vehicle crashes into a food stand outside of the store where the man was working. The vehicle then partially entered the store, coming to rest after striking a support pole.
"It was a little chaotic," Jay Pickering, owner of Pickering Hill Farms, said. "Fortunately, some customers stepped up, along with our employees. The employee that was hit, he hopped up right away, although he was pretty dazed. It was a little unnerving to say the least."
WARNING: The video below contains graphic content of the crash. Viewer discretion is advised.
Pickering told 3News the 19-year-old spent the night in the hospital and was released Thursday. He said the teen is pretty bruised up with a possible broken foot.
"It was pretty traumatic," Pickering continued. "You think, 'Wow, we hope he's alright,' and fortunately, I think he is. But of course, in my mind, being the owner, what are we going to do to prevent this?"
Late Thursday afternoon, Pickering started setting up big concrete barriers in front of the market to keep this from happening again.
"We aren't going to let it happen again, for sure," he said, also pointing to the temporarily blocked off parking spots in front of the market. "We're not letting anybody in this area until I feel it's secure enough that this can't happen again.
Avon police told WKYC the 83-year-old driver from Avon Lake didn't have any injuries. They believe she accidentally hit the gas pedal when meaning to hit the brake.
When asked if she'll face any charges, authorities said they're unsure and that this remains an active investigation.
