On the evening of November 3, an unidentified car crashed into the building of Tri-County Baptist Church in Maryland, Delaware.
At the time of the incident, 17 preschool and elementary-aged children were participating in the church's “Sunday Night BLAST” program, and fortunately, there were no injuries.
At around 6:40 p.m., a man drove a black Corvette into the church's glass front doors, causing them to buckle inward, according to Baptist Press.
Pastor Travis (T.J.) Johnson was in the sanctuary when he heard a loud noise coming from the foyer. He recounted, “I heard a crash and thought, ‘What fell over?’ When I walked into the foyer, I realized it wasn’t something that had fallen. It was a whole car.”
Fortunately, Johnson noted that the children were in their classrooms at the time, and a few people in the foyer quickly moved out of harm’s way. Johnson added, “We didn’t know what he intended to do or if he was armed.”
Nathan Clemons, a church deacon, remarked on the driver’s mental state, stating, “The driver was clearly not doing well mentally.” He explained that the man backed his car up and, at full speed, crashed into the sanctuary wall. “We were really concerned. This was not an accident. This was an intentional action to drive the car into the church, ” he emphasized.
Clemons continued to talk with the driver until the police arrived to subdue him. Thankfully, he noted, “There were no weapons, and he didn’t become violent after he exited the car.”
The driver was later reported to have been detained.
In the midst of the chaos, several church members quickly moved to the children’s area, securing the kids in a locked classroom. As the situation progressed, they moved the children outside to a more secure location.
Johnson praised the leaders for their teamwork, stating, “All the leaders worked together, and the kids listened very well and were respectful. They didn’t scream or panic, though there were a few tears.”
He also highlighted the community spirit during the incident, noting that “one of the kids’ grandparents took all the coats off of the coat rack and ran them to the kids so they could keep warm. Everyone was thinking and caring for one another in beautiful ways. It was a real blessing to see the church that way under a strenuous circumstance.”
Currently, the church is assessing the damage and working with insurance adjusters to determine the next steps following the accident.
