Car slams into Groveland senior living facility, 83-year-old driver and resident hurt

By WBZ-NEWS STAFF

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    GROVELAND, Massachusetts (WBZ) — At least two people were seriously hurt when an SUV slammed into a senior living facility in Groveland Monday morning.

Police told WBZ-TV an 83-year-old man who lives at the facility was driving the Lexus when it crashed into an apartment at Woodburn Manor, the main residential building at Nichols Village just before 11 a.m. Firefighters needed the so-called “jaws of life” rescue tools to get him out of the car, which severely damaged the wall.

An 84-year-old woman who was sitting in the apartment at the time of the crash was thrown 10 feet. She ended up with multiple injuries.

Both were taken to Lawrence Hospital and are expected to survive. A third person was treated at the scene.

“I was in the living room, and all of a sudden, I heard this big – like a boom,” said a resident who was on the second floor when the SUV struck. “I wasn’t sure what it was. It didn’t sound like a crash, but I looked out in the hallway. I didn’t see anything, and then, I looked out the window. And at first, I thought the fire pit that’s gas operated had exploded because there was such debris in the courtyard there.”

Authorities won’t move the car until the building is stabilized. The fire chief said the car’s windshield is essentially holding up the wall. No tenants can return to the building until it is deemed sound.

“We are collaborating with the public safety officials on the scene to secure the building, and we will work closely with the affected residents and family members to support them through this time,” said Jered Stewart, president and CEO of Bethany Community Services, Inc., which manages Nichols Village.

It’s not clear yet what caused the crash.

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