A total of 21 people were injured after a car crashed into a Florida church during an Easter service on Sunday night, USA TODAY reported.
The wreck occurred around 8 p.m. at the Second Haitian Baptist Church, Lt. Victor Medico of the Fort Myers Police told the News-Press. When authorities arrived, mass attendees were using carjacks to lift the car from the building as people were trapped underneath.
"Everybody was sitting and the service started and then 'BING' the car came in," said Jean Corjeles, who was in the church when the incident unfolded. "So many people are injured."
According to Mary Briggs, a spokeswoman for Lee Memorial Health System, 18 people were transported to Lee County hospitals -- 10 of which were taken to Lee Memorial Hospital. None of the victims required surgery, she added.
Three people were sent to Gulf Coast Medical Center and five were sent to HealthPark Medical Center -- three of which were kids.
Medico said the crash happened after a young woman tried to park in the church's parking lot, adding her vehicle had brake malfunctions.
"The car failed to turn into the space and crashed into pews holding 30 to 40 people," Medico said.
Though he referred to the crash as "an unfortunate traffic accident," he said homicide investigators are working with officers on looking into the incident.
"This is an abnormal type of incident, to see a vehicle go all the way into a building," said Benjamin Abes, Lee County EMS operations chief.
Sunday's crash comes two weeks after a man crashed into a day care center in Winter Park, killing a 4-year-old girl and injured 14 others.
