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November 13, 2009

Fatal crash at McDonald's

By Becky Manley / Staff Writer

The Corbin man who struck two vehicles and crashed into the McDonald’s restaurant Thursday has died.

The man, Clarence Hood, 68, died while at Baptist Regional Medical Center, according to the Corbin Police Department. It is believed he died due to injuries he sustained in the crash, police said.

The crash happened about 5 p.m. as Hood was exiting the Trademart Shopping Center in a navy blue Ford F250. A witness told police Hood ran the red light at Master Street and struck a northbound white Chevy Impala, which police said was driven by Bobby Chavis II, 44, of Corbin.

Hood then continued through the intersection and into the parking lot of McDonald’s, 1410 Master St., where he struck a gray Dodge Caravan driven by Laura Wilson, 40, of Corbin, who was parked at the curb by the restaurant’s southwest entrance. Hood’s truck then came to rest inside the restaurant’s entrance.

Witnesses told police they believed Hood was suffering from a medical condition that caused him to lose control of his truck.

Chavis was taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center with possible head and neck injuries, police said.

No injuries were suffered by the driver of the Dodge Caravan, Laura Wilson, or by her passengers, her mother, Brenda Wilson, 63, and her daughter, Keasha Wilson, 16.

Brenda Wilson said when Hood struck their van and the restaurant, her granddaughter, Kaitlyn Wilson, 19, was preparing to exit the store.

Brenda Wilson said as she and her daughter sat in the parked van, they saw Hood’s truck strike Chavis’ car and then head towards them.

“The closer he got to us the faster he (Hood) was going,” Brenda Wilson said.

Brenda Wilson said she saw Kaitlyn Wilson, who had gone into the restaurant for extra ketchup, with her hand on the door as the truck sped toward the restaurant.

“I screamed because of my granddaughter,” Brenda Wilson said.

After the impact, which tore off the outer door and the cement block wall of the entrance, Brenda Wilson said she was afraid to look into the store, fearing her granddaughter had been killed.

When people approached the van, Brenda Wilson said she asked them to check on her granddaughter inside the store. Somebody then told her Kaitlyn Wilson wasn’t hurt.

“It felt wonderful,” Brenda Wilson said.

After the crash, emergency responders used snow shovels to scoop broken glass from the parking lot. A fluorescent light fixture dangled from its cord above the southwest entrance and an area of the parking lot adjacent to the entrance was littered with painted cement blocks and metal framework.

Police continue to investigate the crash.

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