Truck Crashes Into Tom Thumb, Propane Tanks

July 20, 2010

A pickup truck crashed into a Highway 29 Tom Thumb Tuesday morning, leaving the truck resting on the store’s case of propane tanks.

The Florida Highway Patrol says Mamie Gregg, 67, of Cantonment, was attempting to park her 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck in the parking lot of the Tom Thumb at West Roberts Road. At about 9:35 a.m., she hit a concrete post and storage box containing propane tanks outside the store. The truck came to rest on top of the propane tank storage box. There was no fire or explosion. The store’s building sustained only minor damage.

The store and the immediate area were evacuated while emergency crews worked to ensure the truck was safely removed.

Gregg was not injured. She was charged with careless driving, according to the FHP.

For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.


Comments

24 Responses to “Truck Crashes Into Tom Thumb, Propane Tanks”

  1. David Huie Green on July 21st, 2010 11:44 pm

    REGARDING:
    “attempting to park her 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck in the parking lot ”

    I’m glad she wasn’t hurt and nobody was baked.

    Please don’t jump on me for asking (I’m very sensitive, you know), but even if her foot slipped off the brake, shouldn’t she have been moving slowly enough it wouldn’t climb that high and over all that?

    It’s easy to imagine hitting the gas by accident. One lady in South Flomaton did it to Number One Brother way back.

    (In driver’s ed once, I slammed on brakes with my left foot while stopping and threw the automatic transmission up into Park with a jerk.

    Coach Powell asked, “What did you just do?!?!!!!?!?”
    I thought a moment and replied, “Clutched and shifted into second gear.”
    “But this is an automatic!!!”
    “I know, that’s why it didn’t go all that well.”

    Driver’s Ed teachers are special and tough, nerves of steel, most likely with absorbant underwear.)

    David wondering at pedals pushed

  2. Tootie37 on July 21st, 2010 7:15 pm

    I personally know this woman and spoke with her shortly after the wreck. It was not her fault, or her age. She is more intelligent and together than most people I know. She showed me the bottom of her shoe after the wreck, they were so worn out that the tread on the bottom slipped when she went to put on the brake. This could happen to anyone. Please don’t jump to conclusions if you do not know what happened.

  3. BRY on July 21st, 2010 3:36 pm

    I know this woman personally, she was born on 08/**/1933, so that makes her 76 years old, I am worried about her, now that I know this is her. She still works hard to get by.

  4. horrific on July 21st, 2010 1:51 pm

    lol v8 terror,

    To the one’s who think this is so bad and suddenly old ppl should
    be tested more or something, think about all that we have been
    reading lately in the news here about wrecks.
    I can’t recall any of them being the elderly.
    I’m sorry, but while the elderly do have wrecks, it would seem
    they are no comparison to our young ppl up here.

  5. Chumuckla proud on July 21st, 2010 12:52 pm

    I am a 66 year old woman. I cannot fathom why this woman would have done this other than her brain was not receiving or sending the right signals. I would be checking with my doctor to make sure there are no signs of early Alzheimer’s or the beginnings of age-related dementia. I ask my doctor to test me yearly for this because you never know at our age what may be going on inside our bodies and our minds!

  6. Angi♥ on July 21st, 2010 10:00 am

    Thank goodness no one was injured, and so glad that all of the propane didn’t explode. I am quite sure that the woman did not do this on purpose. However I only see here what the story states, but I hope there were no medical problems with the woman and hope that she is alright.
    (Example:) I was driving down the road one day heading home, when I happened to look up in my rearview mirror; and I saw this vehichle coming pretty fast up behind me, the next thing I knew she had hit me from behind. Reasoning for this accident was, the elderly woman driver had passed out from not taking her medications and when she passed out, her foot proceeded to excellerate the gas pedal even more, causing her to slam right into the back end of me. This is why, I state that there could have been some kind of a medical condition here as well… Just my opinion! If not, then she and everyone else really need to be more careful.

  7. saudawg on July 20th, 2010 10:10 pm

    William
    “For a distinguished example of local reporting of breaking news, with special emphasis on the speed and accuracy of the initial coverage, presented in print or online or both.”

    I’ll forward your name to the Columbia School of Journalism for consideration for the Pulitzer Prize. It’s a 1 in 2,500 chance…….

  8. saudawg on July 20th, 2010 10:04 pm

    Thank goodness no one was hurt. I am 60 years old and I think the standards for a drivers license under 18yrs and over 60 yrs should be increased.

  9. William on July 20th, 2010 7:15 pm

    > was (what I thought at the time) the one man operation

    And it is still a one-stressed-out-man operation. But so many wonderful people like Kristi send me pictures and/or info from time to time. Got to love them!

  10. AL on July 20th, 2010 7:09 pm

    Duly noted! Thank you, Kristi!
    It was pretty amusing to realize the first place I thought would have information was (what I thought at the time) the one man operation vs the “main news source” with multiple “reporters” for our area. LOL

  11. FK4JC on July 20th, 2010 4:49 pm

    CM – “I can’t understand how Kristi can get to the scenes so quick. The shooting recently she had pictures of the sheet being put up for non view,that had to be super quick. It takes me so long to get anywhere but Kristi can be anywhere so quick, she maybe has learned to fly without any type of transportation.”

    My best educated guess would be that Miss Kristi knows when they happen….like at the same time the Fire Dept gets the call (wink,wink)….I’m just saying.

    Kristi – let them keep thinking you can fly honey….it doesn’t hurt.

  12. mary on July 20th, 2010 4:37 pm

    I have heard about too many accidents that involve the elderly..they need to rethink the driving tests & make some especially for the elderly. I am 46 & dont have or want a driver’s license.

  13. Bent Straight on July 20th, 2010 4:18 pm

    Aren’t you glad you weren’t on the sidewalk about to enter the store when this driver pulled in??? You never know when this might happen, for this reason I don’t walk in front of cars, even in parking lots, and especially WalMart!!!

  14. Cynical on July 20th, 2010 2:31 pm

    “There was no fire or explosion”

    I am liking that fact completely.

    I can laugh at anything that does not go “kaboom!”

  15. Willene Bryan on July 20th, 2010 2:28 pm

    I past this and was wondering what happen and why so many fire trucks were there, thanks for letting us know.

  16. CM on July 20th, 2010 1:36 pm

    I have been extremely impressed with super quick coverage & the clarity of pictures. I can’t understand how Kristi can get to the scenes so quick. The shooting recently she had pictures of the sheet being put up for non view,that had to be super quick. It takes me so long to get anywhere but Kristi can be anywhere so quick, she maybe has learned to fly without any type of transportation. I will attended her classes to teach me how to do that. Any other takers? Many thanks William & Kristi and any other helpers for the fantastic services you provide. Thank God that this incident ended up so good for what could have been so bad.

  17. Betty on July 20th, 2010 12:21 pm

    Thanks to Kristi and William for all the great photos and information we get, nowhere else but NorthEscambia.com

    A big THANK YOU to both of you!!

  18. William on July 20th, 2010 11:53 am

    >>I meant if I was going to find out what happened it would depend on if William was able to be on the scene or not

    And I was not there. There’s a wonderful lady named Kristi Smith that has been snapping great pictures for us in the Cantonment area. All kudos for the photos go to her.

  19. AL on July 20th, 2010 11:52 am

    (for clarity: By “this is north of 10 mile, so maybe William will cover it”… I meant if I was going to find out what happened it would depend on if William was able to be on the scene or not)

  20. AL on July 20th, 2010 11:50 am

    You know, I passed by this but I was over on the old highway and couldn’t really tell what was going on without risking a wreck myself… and my first thoughts were “this is north of 10 mile, so maybe William will cover it”

    Glad nobody was hurt, this could have been so much more serious.
    and I know it makes me an awful person, but I did have to laugh at V8… LOL

  21. whitepunknotondope on July 20th, 2010 11:40 am

    Give me a break!
    An honest mistake is mistaking someone for someone else.

    Driving a vehicle into the front of a store, no matter WHAT the REASON, is simply a stupid, irresponsible, careless mistake.

    Unless the person suffered a medical emergency, the above shoe fits, and they have to wear it. Someone, including a child, could have been killed by this “honest mistake”.

  22. Heartbroken citizen on July 20th, 2010 11:16 am

    Everyone so quick to judge. No one know what happened it could have been a honest mistake. Just be thankful that no one got hurt!!!

  23. V8Terror on July 20th, 2010 11:13 am

    Wasnt a drunk 16 year old driving was it?

  24. brattman on July 20th, 2010 11:06 am

    Looks like the DA will be the prosecutor and the prosecuted in this case.