ELLSWORTH, Maine — Several were injured after a vehicle crashed into a Dollar Tree store in Ellsworth Monday afternoon.
Ellsworth police responded to Dollar Tree on Marden's Way around 1:31 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they found a pickup truck had crashed through the glass doors into the store, a news release from the Ellsworth Police Department said Tuesday morning.
According to the release, several people were injured and EMS "began triaging the scene" while officers worked to locate witnesses for the investigation into the crash.
"Investigation indicated the pickup was parking in a parking spot, accelerated crashing into an unoccupied parked car, then continuing on crashing through the front doors of the store into the checkout registers before coming to a stop," the release states.
The driver of the pickup truck was identified as 80-year-old Joseph LaFrance of Ellsworth. He was taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries, according to the release. LaFrance's passenger, a 75-year-old woman from Ellsworth, was also taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries.
Additionally, four Dollar Tree employees and patrons were taken to nearby hospitals.
According to the release, a 74-year-old Ellsworth woman suffered injuries to her left leg and head, a 28-year-old Ellsworth woman suffered a fractured left foot and head injury, a 67-year-old Ellsworth woman suffered a possible broken leg and injured ribs, and a 61-year-old Ellsworth man suffered a cut on his hand.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and the Dollar Tree store remains closed to the public due to the structural damage sustained in the crash.