A vehicle crash at a Massachusetts auto auction killed three people and injured nine others, according to news reports.
The May 3 incident at Lynnway Auto Auction near Boston occurred when the driver of a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee “waiting to enter the auction suddenly accelerated and entered the building at a very high rate of speed,” ABC News reported, citing law enforcement officials.
Officials said the driver is a male, in his 70s, who works at Lynnway Auto Auction, according to ABC News.
Several hundred bargain hunters and car dealers were inside the building and a few hundred people were outside the building when the incident occurred, ABC News reported.
After hitting a dozen bystanders, the Jeep Grand Cherokee plowed through a cinderblock wall, according to news reports.
The three fatalities included 36-year-old mother Leezandra Aponte, who had just started her first day on the job at the auto auction, according to news reports.
No Evidence of Terrorism
In a news release, the Massachusetts State Police said “there is no evidence or information to suggest the incident was caused by an intentional or terrorist act,” based on the agency’s preliminary investigation.
“All evidence and information at this time suggests an accidental cause,” the department added.
Lynnway Auto Auction moved to Billerica, Mass., in 2011, according to the company’s website, and boasts of an eight-lane facility on a 58-acre campus.
On its Facebook page, the auto auction posted a message thanking “all those who acted as first responders” when the incident occurred.
“To the Billerica police and fire departments, thank you for your quick arrival and professional handling of the incident,” the auto auction says on its Facebook page.
Lynnway Auto Auction also posted a message expressing “thoughts and prayers” for everyone affected by the incident.
“We are shaken and deeply saddened by the unfortunate accident at Lynnway today,” the company posted on May 3.