This is a developing story.
HINGHAM − A man has died and 16 people were injured Monday after a black SUV crashed into the Apple store in the Derby Street shopping center. Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said there is an “active criminal investigation” into the crash.
It was about 10:45 a.m. Monday when the car, a Toyota 4Runner, crashed into the glass-plated front of the store and “struck multiple people,” Cruz said. The car traveled to the back wall and trapped multiple several inside. One person died, 14 others were taken to South Shore Hospital and two were taken to Boston-area hospitals. A medial helicopter also responded.
“Right now, family members are being notified or in the process of being notified,” Cruz told members of the media at 1:20 p.m. “This morning was an unthinkable morning, and people are trying to process what happened… This investigation is active and ongoing, and we are very limited as to what we can say at this point.”
Steve Murphy, the Hingham fire chief, said bystanders provided first aid to help the injured. A total of 14 ambulances and seven fire engines responded to the scene, including those from as far away as Cohasset and Hull.
“We are unable to provide any updates on (the victims’) condition right now, but we want to thank everyone that was involved in helping in this situation,” Murphy said.
Murphy added that the building commissioner and Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team was on the scene and did not have concerns about the structural integrity of the building.
Cruz said he didn’t know how fast the car was going, but did say there is an “active criminal investigation.” He did not give any information on the driver of the car other than to say he or she was not taken to the hospital.
Cruz said there were people walking on the sidewalk in front of the store when the crash occurred.
“The Apple story is a very busy place,” he said. “It’s the Monday of a holiday week. I don’t know exactly how many people were in there, I’m sure we will find out… We are going to go slow and steady with this, and get the information as we get it.”
The car was still inside the store as of 1:30 p.m. Monday.
“active criminal investigation”
driver not taken to hopsital
A large hole could be seen in the glass front of the store. There were multiple people on the ground outside the store being tended to by dozens of first responders, and people were being placed onto stretchers and taken by ambulance. It was not immediately clear how many people were injured.
Frank O’Brien, who was shopping at Derby Street at time, wondered how fast a car would have to go to bust through the glass in front of the store.
“You’d have to really be picking up speed to end up in the storage area at the back side of the Apple store,” he said.
“My wife is at Derby Street in Hingham, a black 4Runner drove full speed into the Apple store,” one man tweeted. “She said there are a lot of injuries −my wife used a spare jacket as a tourniquet.”
Another witness told WCVB, The Patriot Ledger’s media partner, that they say the driver being pulled from the car with a bloodied face.
“It sounded like an explosion,” said one witness, who was shopping at J. Crew at the time of the crash.
Derby Street Shops at 92-98 Derby St. in Hingham, is a collection of 64 stores and restaurants. The 4,000-square-foot Apple store is located in the rear of the outdoor shopping plaza, next to Burton’s Grill. It opened in 2006.
The two stores on either side of the Apple store were closed and taped off at noon Monday. The Apple website listed the Hingham location as “currently unavailable.”
This story will be updated regularly as more information becomes available.
Reporters Mary Whitfill, Joel Barnes and Fred Hanson; photographer Greg Derr; and WCVB, The Patriot Ledger’s media partner, contributed to this report.
