Three people were taken to hospital on Saturday after an out-of-control white Mercedes sedan drifted through a country club parking lot in the Boston suburbs and crashed directly into the pro shop at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, Massachusetts.
The driver of the vehicle and two pro shop workers were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, Newton police told The Daily Mail. Security recording footage from the incident went viral online, showing just how close the two staff members came to suffering serious injury when the vehicle breached the building wall.
The viral footage shows the white Mercedes sedan drifting through the Brae Burn Country Club entrance before rolling one wheel up onto the curb. The driver was able to pull the vehicle back onto the pavement, but failed to apply the brake for an unknown reason.
As a result, the sedan appeared to be picking up speed as it passed between a pair of golf carts and crashed into the one-story pro shop. The video clip then cuts to inside the store, where two staffers were seen folding clothing before being knocked out of frame as the car crashed through the wall and onto the plaid carpet.
Police investigation and structural safety
Newton police told The Daily Mail that the cause of the crash remains under investigation, but officers have not found anything criminal yet. Police say alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the incident, which authorities indicated may have been caused by "accidental operator error."
Newton police declined to share the incident report with The Daily Mail, explaining that it has yet to be approved. Brae Burn's pro shop suffered considerable damage in the crash, prompting emergency services and municipal officials to inspect the property immediately after the vehicle was removed.
"The Newton Fire Department and City engineer responded to ensure the building was structurally sound before the wall was boarded up," read an official statement provided to The Daily Mail.
Historic golf venue in Newton
Newton is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, situated roughly seven miles west of downtown Boston. Country club pro shops act as the central commercial and administrative hub for golf facilities, housing retail clothing and golf gear while coordinating daily course operations.
Established in 1897, Brae Burn Country Club is a historic private golf club in the Greater Boston area. The venue has a rich tournament history, having hosted the 1919 US Open, one of golf's major national championships, as well as the US Women's Amateur events in 1906, 1975, and 1997.
When motor vehicles strike commercial buildings, municipal building codes require city engineers and fire departments to evaluate structural stability before property owners can board up damaged walls and initiate repairs. Newton police said their investigation into Saturday's incident remains open.
