Delivery truck crashes
Tom Hasslinger | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years, 1 month AGO
<p>Loren Heisel, a delivery driver for Runge Furniture, is comforted by co-worker Michele Custer following a multiple vehicle collision Thursday that ended with the delivery truck striking a home near the intersection of 15th Street and Harrison Avenue. Heisel, 40, blacked out during a seizure causing him to strike two vehicles before coming to a stop in the garage of a Coeur d'Alene residence.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - A driver for Runge Furniture suffered a seizure behind the wheel on a route Thursday afternoon, crashing the delivery truck into two vehicles and a Coeur d'Alene home.
Loren Heisel, 40, blacked-out behind the wheel around 12:30 p.m. while heading northbound on 15th street near Harrison Avenue, causing the unloaded truck to veer into the southbound lane, striking the vehicles and the garage at 1206 N. 15th St.
"I don't know when I'm getting ready to have one," Heisel said at the scene of the seizures he has experienced off and on for a year. "Whenever I have one I pretty much forget what happens."
The accident stretched more than 100 feet, hitting eight points of impact, according to Coeur d'Alene Police, including trees, cars, curbs and the chain link fence to the home.
There were no injuries.
"I really can't remember," Heisel said. "The next thing I remember is the owner coming up to me saying everything was all right and I was going to be OK."
The homeowner, Ronald Kushmaul, was in the back of the home working on a computer when he felt the impact on the house.
"I saw the trees in the garage and I saw the truck in the garage," Kushmaul said. "I feel sorry for the guy. He seemed all right. He just seemed a little dazed."
Witnesses said the truck pulled out into the southbound lane at speeds faster than the 25 mile per hour limit as though it were attempting to pass another car.
"I saw him there and then he came at me and then he ran into the home," said Anthony Myers, 17, who was driving southbound and veered to the left when the truck came at him. "I had to get out of the way, you know? He seemed like he was going pretty fast."
Heisel, who has worked for Runge for six years, said doctors recently discovered a tumor in his head. He was examined at the scene and checked himself into Urgent Care on Thursday afternoon.
Jeff Runge, Runge manager, said Heisel had been cleared to drive with the store since he hadn't experienced seizures in months since seeking medical treatment.
The intersection at 15th Street and Harrison Avenue has been widened and infrastructure has been put in recently in preparation for a traffic signal to come up sometime this year.
An investigation continues.