And it’s all because several of them ended up locked in the freezer after the driver of a car smashed through the wall separating the parking from the Walmart store, ending up in what appears to be the storehouse of the shop.
Photos published by the Saanich Police Traffic Safety Unit and the Saanich Fire Department show the aftermath of this impromptu stunt, but what they don’t show is the group of Walmart employees freezing in the cooler after the vehicle got the doors stuck, locking them inside.
The local authorities didn’t say how much time the employees spent trying to cope with the winter in the middle of the spring, but the police revealed everyone was rescued with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Crews have rescued Walmart employees that were trapped in the commercial coolers. Crews are working to stabilize the vehicle and suspended ceiling. Building inspector and Engineers enroute to assess,” the fire department tweeted.
While it’s not clear how the whole thing happened, there’s a very good chance the driver just mistook the gas pedal and the brakes. Because you know, this is still a thing, and as it turns out, it’s the kind of blunder that could get some people locked in the freezer.
And in case you’re wondering, no information has been provided on the driver, but the local authorities have tried to set things clear in at least one regard.
“While we are not confirming the age or gender of the driver involved in the incident at Uptown Shopping Centre yesterday, we can confirm that the driver was not an ‘elderly woman’, as being circulated in media and online. We will share more info once we are able to,” the Saanich Police said.
Crews have rescued Walmart employees that were trapped in the commercial coolers.
— Saanich Fire Department (@SaanichFire) April 10, 2021
Crews are working to stabilize the vehicle and suspended ceiling.
Building inspector and Engineers enroute to assess. pic.twitter.com/Ro6JjNGrjF
Once on scene it was discovered a vehicle had driven through a wall from the parkade into a store. As a result, people in the store were trapped. They were rescued, along with the driver. All sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The crash is still under investigation. pic.twitter.com/KmpepHoZzm
— Saanich Police Traffic Safety Unit (@SPD_Traffic) April 10, 2021