A jarring collision early Friday morning saw a vehicle crash through the exterior wall of a GoodLife Fitness centre at the Sherwood Forest Mall in London, Ont., leaving seven people injured, including the driver.
The incident occurred around 7:40 a.m. when a Jeep Wrangler reportedly drove into the west side of the building, striking the area occupied by the popular fitness facility. At the time, approximately 30 women were participating in a new fitness class.
Bernice Bishop, a participant in the class, described the terrifying moments.
“The room exploded and everything flew – glass, bricks from the wall,” Bishop recounted.
“And then we all looked around and there was a vehicle inside the building, and it hit some of the gals from the class.”
One woman was trapped under the vehicle, according to initial reports. Emergency services confirmed seven individuals sustained injuries: One in critical condition, one in serious condition, and five others in fair condition. The driver of the vehicle was among those injured.
Mai Huynh, owner of a nail salon within the mall, was arriving for work around 7:30 a.m. and noticed a woman in a blue Jeep talking on a cell phone approximately 50 meters from the gym’s wall.
“When we parked my car there, we walk about here,” she said, gesturing to a driving lane in the parking lot.
“And I hear her go straight at the building.”
Huynh added the vehicle was travelling “really fast.”
London Police Chief Thai Truong addressed the incident at a news conference later in the afternoon. When questioned about intent, Chief Truong stated, “What I can confirm with you is that we have evidence, and we have information that the vehicle accelerated into the building.”
The London Police Service, London Fire Department, and Middlesex-London Paramedic Services responded swiftly to the scene. Insp. Doug Brown of the London Police acknowledged the challenging circumstances, noting that emergency resources were already stretched due to other incidents in the city.
“To see the response and support from the law enforcement and our medical emergency people... amazing,” he commented.
Firefighters worked to secure the damaged wall, while police launched a comprehensive investigation. Members of the Major Crime Section and Road Safety Section were at the scene gathering evidence, reviewing surveillance footage, and interviewing witnesses. The vehicle remained at the location as the investigation continued.
“This is a serious incident that has affected many people in our community,” Chief Truong said.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who was injured, their families, and all those who were present when this occurred.”
More photos of the scene are available in CTV London’s photo gallery section.
