A pickup truck slammed into the entrance of an Iowa Walmart on Thursday morning, killing three people and injuring two others, according to multiple reports.
A person called 911 just before 10 a.m. to report that a truck had crashed into the Walmart in Pella, the Iowa State Patrol told the Des Moines Register.
Witnesses told KNIA/KRLS that the truck appeared to hit the store at a high rate of speed. Walmart employee Don French told the station that bystanders sprung into action gathering pillows and other items off shelves to tend to the wounded.
Sgt. Nathan Ludwig of the Iowa State Patrol told WHO-TV that investigators do not believe the crash was intentional.
Police have not identified the driver or the victims, although Ludwig said none of them are children.
Ludwig told the Register that the pickup driver was an older man. He was alone in the truck and among the two people injured.
In a statement to WHO-TV, a Walmart spokesperson said that the company was "heartbroken by what appears to be a tragic accident."
"Our focus right now is on our associates, customers and gathering information," the statement said. "We will continue working closely with law enforcement and emergency responders."
Pella is about 40 miles southeast of Des Moines.
About the Author
