Signs for Denny’s restaurants might conjure up pleasant images of eggs, hash browns and midnight cups of coffee at the classic 24/7 diners.
However, a sign had a deadly impact this week when it fell on a car in Elizabethtown, Ky. According to police statements cited by CBS News, one person perished when the sign fell and two others were injured.
It was around 1:30 p.m. Thursday when police and the local fire department received a call that the sign at the Mulberry Street Denny’s location had fallen on an occupied car, said the CBS report.
“When they arrived on the scene, they removed two adult women and one adult man from the vehicle,” it said. WDRB News reported that the woman who died was 72-year-old Lillian Curtis, citing the coroner.
Amy Nichols told WDRB that the woman was her grandmother. She said doctors described a head wound Curtis sustained in the backseat of the vehicle as “catastrophic.”
Nichols also said her grandfather, Lloyd Curtis, was in the front passenger seat, and that her mother, Mary Graham, was driving. Lloyd Curtis was released from Jewish Hospital three days ago after having open heart surgery but was rushed back to the hospital with “fluid on his lungs” and other injuries, Nichols said. Graham “sustained a chest injury” and has been released from the hospital.
According to Nichols, the family was headed home to Columbia, Ky., then the sign fell. A GoFundMe has been established to help them cover funeral costs.
Elizabethtown Police Detective Chris Denham said he believes intense wind gusts contributed to knocking the sign from its base. Earlier this month, the department issued a warning about strong winds on its Facebook page.
CBS said the Elizabethtown police are now investigating the incident with the Elizabethtown Planning Department.
“Denny’s is aware of the incident that took place at our Elizabethtown location on Thursday,” said a statement from a Denny’s spokesperson provided to CBS News. “Safety is our top priority, and we are working with the authorities to better understand what led to this situation.”
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