Scaffolding seen crashing onto Amazon van as winds lash South Carolina tourist town
Scaffolding blew from the side of a building and crashed onto an Amazon van as winds lashed a South Carolina tourist town, video sent to news outlets shows.
The scaffolding had been standing multiple stories when it started to sway and fell to a Charleston street on Monday, Jan. 3, according to the footage shared with WCIV. The clip shows an SUV passing the building just before the collapse.
Alexandra Palmisano lives in the area and described hearing a “really loud crash, and we saw the Amazon truck was toppled over with the scaffolding,” according to WCSC.
The Charleston Police Department said it received a report at about 11:45 a.m. of scaffolding falling onto a vehicle outside a Sottile Street apartment building. No one was injured, Sgt. Elisabeth Wolfsen told McClatchy News in an email.
In a written statement, Amazon spokesperson Branden Baribeau said: “We’re thankful the driver is safe and was not in the van when it occurred.”
Nearby, a church steeple was seen toppled over in North Charleston. Photos from WCBD show the steeple resting on the ground outside of Cooper River Baptist Church.
The North Charleston Fire Department said it was responding at about 5:20 a.m. to a downed power line when crews saw the steeple had fallen from the building. No injuries were reported at the church, fire officials said in a news release.
The damage was reported as forecasters on Jan. 3 predicted wind gusts in the region could reach 60 mph. The National Weather Service warned that powerful winds brought the potential for broken tree limbs, power outages and difficult driving conditions.
Charleston, a city known as a tourist destination, reported that the weather conditions caused some traffic lights to stop working .
Cooper River Baptist Church didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for comment on Jan. 4.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 11:14 AM.
