Runaway Driver Smashes Into North Canton Church, Suffers Serious Injuries

A runaway elderly driver single-handedly shut down Ream Street NW after smashing into a truck, a pole and a church on Wednesday, July 3.

The accident quickly unfolded at about 3:20 p.m. when the 83 year-old North Canton woman rear-ended a truck with her 2006 Ford Taurus while in the FirstMerit Bank drive-thru, said North Canton Police Sgt. Shawn Bates. 

The woman then reversed into a pole, drove forward across Ream and crashed into the side wall of Northminster Presbyterian Church, located at 237 W. Maple St. 

The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to Aultman Hospital by North Canton EMS.

The airbags were deployed and it appeared the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, said Bates.

The interior church wall was punctured in the accident, but no Northminster staff was injured. 

The official cause of the accident remains under investigation. 

"The driver is still hospitalized," said Bates in a July 8 phone conversation with Patch. "We haven't been able to speak to her yet."

This accident marks the second time in the last month that an elderly driver lost control and struck a North Canton building.

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