Teen, 19, badly injured by safe

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

A LifeFlight helicopter takes off from the rear parking lot of Wal-Mart Thursday afternoon, transporting critically injured store employee Amy McDonald, 19, for treatment in Nashville. (Duane Sherrill photo)

A Wal-Mart employee was critically injured Thursday afternoon when a gun safe fell on her in the store’s sporting goods department.

The victim, Amy E. McDonald, 19, was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville aboard LifeFlight helicopter which made its landing in the rear parking lot of the Super Center just before dusk Thursday evening. She suffered severe head injuries in the accident which occurred shortly after 5 p.m. inside Wal-Mart.

According to preliminary reports, the teen was reaching for a safe which was located on an elevated metal shelf when it fell for reasons unknown, striking her and causing the critical injuries. The weight of the metal safe is also not known; however, it is believed to have weighed several hundred pounds.

Due to the severity of her injuries, the medical helicopter was directed to land at the scene of the accident in an area closed off by McMinnville Fire Department in the back parking lot.

Wal-Mart managers who were working at the store Thursday evening refused to comment on the accident. Store general manager Steve Phillips was said to be en route to Vanderbilt to check on his employee.