ACCIDENT
A quiet afternoon at Magnolia State Bank in Gray took a sudden turn toward what could have easily been a catastrophe when a driver blacked out and the Jeep pickup he was driving headed across three lanes of traffic toward the bank building.
The vehicle went through two brick walls Nov. 22, before stopping, and the most amazing part of the story is that no one was injured, not even the driver.
A report of the wreck by Gray Police Officer Brad James stated the 2022 Jeep Gladiator was driving westbound when it crossed the median of Gray Highway about 100 feet before the intersection.
The vehicle continued into the bank parking lot and into the bank building. James said tire tracks indicated the vehicle showed no signs of braking.
The driver of the Jeep was listed as Matthew Ashley Wiggins, 38, of Ailey.
The officer said Wiggins told him he blacked out. The last thing he remembered was leaving a building and supply company, headed back to the building site where he was working.
Magnolia Bank Jones County Market President Mell Merritt said the accident happened at 1:45 p.m. Nov. 29. He said his desk is about 10 feet from where the truck came through the wall, but he happened not to be in his office.
“It sounded like an explosion,” he said.
Merritt said once he realized what had happened, his first thought was for the safety for employees and customers. He said there were several customers in the bank at that time.
“After we knew everyone was safe, we approached the truck. The driver was waking up when we got to him,” he said.
Merritt said the driver said he was fine, but he couldn’t get out of the truck.
“The front wheels were out of the wall,” he recalled.
Merritt said several people had called 911, and the response was quick. He said he later called a local construction company to come out and secure the building.
Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe said it was nothing short of a miracle that no one was hurt in the crash. He said Wiggins was not charged because he was not impaired.
“It was an accident,” he said. “He had some kind of medical issue and blacked out. We just wanted to be sure he was checked out.”
Merritt said he continues to be amazed that everyone survived the incident that put a large hole in two brick walls.
When asked his biggest takeaway from the experience, he said, “Praise God!
No one was injured.”
