UPDATE: LAWTON, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The driver who drove his
SUV through the front of St. Paul's United Methodist Church has died.
Van Buren County deputies say 73-year-old David Alan Martin, from the Lawton Area was transported to Bronson Lake View Hospital after the crash, where he later died.
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LAWTON, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A 73-year old driver is in critical condition tonight after slamming his SUV through the front of Saint Paul's United Methodist Church in Van Buren County.
Tonight, the pastor says he's praying for the driver while also beginning to repair the damages.
The SUV is gone but the damage is still here. A gray tarp covers the hole in the wall and if you walk over here with me, you can see the front door is shattered, sending glass everywhere.
The driver is recovering, the pastor rebuilding. He tells me he's just thankful no one was inside the church when that SUV came barreling through.
When Pastor Wayne McKenney got the call about a SUV in the front wall of his church, he thought it was a minor accident.
"There was about 15 police cars and ambulances. They were working on the man that was injured," he said.
Police not sure why the man lost control of his SUV around 10:30 Friday morning.
"A 73-year old male driver was the only person in the vehicle at the time," said Sergeant Ron Douglas, with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.
Pastor McKenney says his congregation is lucky no one was inside of the church Friday morning.
"We're just praying that he'll be okay. The church is a building and we can fix it. That's what insurance is for," he said.
Inside of the church, the damage is extensive.
"The one wall is pretty much blown out in the one room. The insulation is down and things are kind of broken up in there. The one Sunday School room is a mess, so we'll have to move the kids around a little bit for the next few days, few weeks but that's okay," McKenney said.
While the crash clean-up continues, Pastor McKenney counting his blessings because he knows this could've been much worse.
"We're just praying for the man in the accident that he'll be alright," he said.
The neighbor across the street says she's been lobbying for a stop light here, because this is the first time this happened.
We reached out to M-DOT but we haven't heard back just yet.
At last check, the driver was in critical condition.
Van Buren County deputies say 73-year-old David Alan Martin, from the Lawton Area was transported to Bronson Lake View Hospital after the crash, where he later died.
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LAWTON, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A 73-year old driver is in critical condition tonight after slamming his SUV through the front of Saint Paul's United Methodist Church in Van Buren County.
Tonight, the pastor says he's praying for the driver while also beginning to repair the damages.
The SUV is gone but the damage is still here. A gray tarp covers the hole in the wall and if you walk over here with me, you can see the front door is shattered, sending glass everywhere.
The driver is recovering, the pastor rebuilding. He tells me he's just thankful no one was inside the church when that SUV came barreling through.
When Pastor Wayne McKenney got the call about a SUV in the front wall of his church, he thought it was a minor accident.
"There was about 15 police cars and ambulances. They were working on the man that was injured," he said.
Police not sure why the man lost control of his SUV around 10:30 Friday morning.
"A 73-year old male driver was the only person in the vehicle at the time," said Sergeant Ron Douglas, with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.
Pastor McKenney says his congregation is lucky no one was inside of the church Friday morning.
"We're just praying that he'll be okay. The church is a building and we can fix it. That's what insurance is for," he said.
Inside of the church, the damage is extensive.
"The one wall is pretty much blown out in the one room. The insulation is down and things are kind of broken up in there. The one Sunday School room is a mess, so we'll have to move the kids around a little bit for the next few days, few weeks but that's okay," McKenney said.
While the crash clean-up continues, Pastor McKenney counting his blessings because he knows this could've been much worse.
"We're just praying for the man in the accident that he'll be alright," he said.
The neighbor across the street says she's been lobbying for a stop light here, because this is the first time this happened.
We reached out to M-DOT but we haven't heard back just yet.
At last check, the driver was in critical condition.