The evening commute on U.S. Highway 1 near Vass was slowed down by onlookers Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle smashed through a building.
The single-vehicle crash happened around 4:30 p.m. on the northbound side of the highway at Branch Trail, just south of Vass.
According to authorities, a Toyota RAV4 was traveling northbound when witnesses say it ran off the left side of the road into the median, overcorrected, and came back across the road. The vehicle then left the roadway at a turn-a-round, knocked down a mailbox, narrowly missed a power pole, and crashed into the corner of a building.
The vehicle had enough speed to keep going, smashing through a rollup door and several support posts before driving out the opposite corner of the building and finally coming to a stop.Â
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol on scene investigating the crash, the vehicle traveled around 900 feet once it lost control before it came to a stop.
The female driver was the only occupant and may have had a medical emergency that caused the crash. She was transported to Moore Regional Hospital for treatment.
The Toyota completely smashed through the rollup door.
The Toyota suffered extensive damage in the crash. Rockwell Towing arrived to remove the vehicle while first responders cleared debris from the wreckage.
The damaged building had recently been renovated and was unoccupied at the time.
Responding units were the Cypress Pointe Fire Department, Moore County EMS, Vass Police Department, and North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
~Article and photos by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Daniel Gwyn. Daniel has been reporting breaking news for Sandhills Sentinel since 2020.
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