Last Updated on July 5, 2019 by CCAR Staff
A Habitat for Humanity truck in the Claremont Fourth of July parade appeared to be head toward a group of children when it veered away and struck a wooden archway with vines at the senior center and a flag pole, police said.
The 82-year-old Chino man driving the flatbed truck suffered minor injuries, Claremont police Sgt. Robert Ewing said.
No parade spectators were injured.
Police didn’t know if the driver suffered a medical problem or if the truck had a mechanical problem.
Christine Charland, director of the Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity, said the driver, a long-time volunteer, was treated at a hospital, released and was doing fine.
“He’s pretty well-shaken,” Charland said.
It happened toward the end of the parade at 3:55 p.m., Ewing said. The floats were heading to a parking lot.
“For whatever reason, the vehicle sped forward at a large amount of speed,” Ewing said, adding that two officers witnessed what happened.
It looked like the flatbed truck was headed toward several children, then it veered to the right.
He said the driver turned into the parking lot of the Joslyn Senior Center, at 660 N. Mountain Ave., and crashed into the pergola, the a wooden archway with vines, a light pole, a flag pole and shrubbery. The cost of repairs was unclear.
Parade-watchers, off-duty firefighters and off-duty officers went to help. The driver was taken to a hospital.
