Jim Dinsmore, the owner of the Westgate Subway, walked outside his restaurant Tuesday afternoon with the intent to help someone in distress. He walked around the edge of Wiregrass Plaza shopping center, which includes Subway, to find a man trapped underneath a minivan.
Edward C. Severino, 49, of Midland City, suffered serious injuries after his vehicle struck him, according to Dothan Police Sgt. Tim Ward, a traffic supervisor. Emergency workers performed CPR on him as he was taken to Flowers Hospital, Ward said.
“I just wanted to see if I could help, but it was too late,” Dinsmore said. “He was way under the vehicle. I was really surprised, I thought somebody had him.”
Ward called the incident an accident, and said police were still investigating how the man suffered the injuries. Ward said Severino had been placed on a respirator.
“It looks like he was the owner of the vehicle,” Ward said. “It looks like he was working on it in the front, and it lurched forward.”
When emergency workers with the Dothan Fire and Rescue unit arrived they found the man’s body pinned underneath the minivan. The accident happened around 1:15 p.m. at the Wiregrass Plaza shopping center on Westgate Parkway near a Subway and Winn Dixie.
Dothan Police investigators used orange spray paint to mark the pavement beside the shopping center near the Subway in case their investigation brought them back to the roadway.
Dothan Fire Department Capt. Chris Etheredge said Dothan firefighters worked to rescue the man as they used the Jaws of Life to lift the minivan off of the man’s body.
“I felt bad for him that stuff can happen fast,” Dinsmore said. “I’m sure he didn’t wake up thinking that was going to happen. It’s sad.”
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