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Medical condition causes pickup to crash into building

Submitted photo This truck struck the rear corner of a building on East State Street after the driver suffered an unknown medical condition Sunday afternoon in a parking lot off of Sugartree Alley.

SALEM — A Salem man was transported to a hospital after suffering an unknown medical condition Sunday afternoon while driving through a parking lot, with his pickup continuing across Sugartree Alley and hitting the back of a vacant building at 562 E. State St., damaging the gas meter and electric service.

Police and fire department personnel were called to the property at 12:16 p.m., finding the pickup had hit the building. The driver, David Wack, 73, of West Middletown Road, was removed from the vehicle and taken by KLG ambulance. His condition was unknown.

The police report said it appeared the pickup was traveling south through the municipal parking lot on Sugartree Alley in the 500 block of East State Street when the medical condition occurred. The vehicle continued south over the cement curb and street sign, then passed over the alley into a private parking lot, struck a barrier pole and gas meter before striking the building.

The fire report said there was major damage to the building, with the natural gas meter broken off and damage to the electric service. Both Columbia Gas and Ohio Edison responded. The power was shut down by cutting the line from the building. Columbia Gas had to call out a dirt crew to dig up the line for the gas shut-off.

The owner arrived and contacted a company to shore up the corner of the building before the truck was removed by Sinsley Towing. The building, which Fire Chief Scott Mason said was vacant, used to house an attorney office for T. Robert Bricker and Richard Hlaudy on the first floor according to the sign. Aarrow Disposal used to occupy offices on the second floor, but he said the company isn’t there anymore.

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