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Crime & Safety

Manchester CVS Crash Killing Bench-Sitting Man Could Have Been Worse

So say observers who say this Manchester CVS is a target

The cashier, who was on the other side of the counter inside the CVS store in Manchester, came close to serious injury and could have been killed.

The cashier was able to jump over the counter and get out of the way once the car struck a man outside the store.

If the car had come through the wall at all, he could have been dead.

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These were some of the observations made at the scene when a 73-year-old Whiting man who died recently after a vehicle struck him while he was sitting on a bench, police said.

Joseph O'Connor was sitting on the bench in front of the Route 530 CVS store when he was struck and killed by a 2012 Subaru Forester wagon.

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The wagon was operated by Evelyn Treibly, 76, also of Whiting, police said. O'Connor died as a result of the injuries he sustained from being pinned against the building by the vehicle, police said.

Brian Klimakowski, Manchester's police chief, said the matter is under investigation. At this point, he said, nothing from the investigation has indicated that Treibly could facing serious criminal charges.

This may not have been the first time the CVS was struck: One person who was on the scene, but declined to have their name used, said: Usually when people drive into the building, it's because they hit the gas instead of the brake by mistake.

Efforts to obtain comment from CVS' headquarters were unsuccessful this past week.

Various people who chose to remain anonymous have written to Manchester Patch to express their perspectives on the matter, including some on-the-scene observations.

Some of those observations include:

After the accident, the cashier called 911 and the store manager, while one of the other employees tended to O'Connor outside while waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive.

Another employee helped the cashier close the store and clear the people away from the scene.

Either at the family home or somewhere near the scene, some tried to comfort O'Connor's wife as best as possible. But after about 20 minutes, Mrs. O'Connor was told the tragic news.

The driver was kept back in the pharmacy, appearing a bit frazzled. One observer said it seemed as if she was attempting to park in a no-parking zone between two handicap parking spaces.

Instead, the car came right up the handicap ramp, hit O'Connor, then the bench, then the store; thus pinning O'Connor against the wall.

The CVS Pharmacy also sustained damage and was temporarily closed until the Manchester building inspector could conduct an investigation.

This crash is under investigation by Patrolman Antonio Ellis of the Manchester Traffic Safety Bureau.

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