Man crashes into back of Warren Giant Eagle in suicide attempt

Staff report

WARREN

An Idylwild Street Northeast man was flown by helicopter to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital on Friday after he ran his car into the back of the Giant Eagle in the Elm Road Plaza.

The 49-year-old man told investigators he was trying to commit suicide and had doused the inside of his car with gasoline in hopes it would blow up on impact.

The crash damaged an electrical transformer that provided power to the Giant Eagle store, but it did not cause an explosion, Warren police said.

When first responders got there, the man was unresponsive, according to radio communications from the Trumbull County 911 center.

The man drove at a high rate of speed along Plaza Avenue in back of the plaza and into the back of the building after also hitting a guard rail and concrete posts. A witness on Plaza Avenue said it appeared the driver was going 60 to 70 mph.

A medical helicopter landed in the plaza parking lot and left with the victim about 1:54 a.m.

The 12:49 a.m. incident caused the transformer to spark and arc, Warren Fire Department officials said. Firefighters got the man out of his car.

The fire department remained on the scene for about three hours.