Cape Coral pool hall crash kills one

Published: Updated:

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- One man is dead after a truck crashed into a pool hall late Monday afternoon.

The impact shattered a large window and sent tables and chairs flying around Diamond Billiards located on Southwest Pine Island Road.

Authorities say 60-year-old Ronald Gravel was pinned against a bar in the business when a large Ford F-250 pickup truck crashed inside.

Gravel later died as a result of his injuries.

Tracy Booker, 52 and Linda Girard, 58, were also injured and transported to local hospitals.

Girard tells WINK News the moment the truck came crashing through the business sounded like an explosion.

“I said it loud, ‘oh my God, a bomb,” said Girard.

Girard was standing at the bar next to her best friend, Tracy Booker, when she says she was hit and sent flying into the air.

“I remember that once I realized what had happened I was on my, I think my hands and knees, in the midst of all that broken glass. And then my first thought was her.. Was she alright?”

“When I got a little closer to her, like I said, I just said ‘Tracy are you alright?’ She said ‘I can’t breathe.’ And I said, ‘I’ll breathe for you.'”

Booker was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with life threatening injuries.

Authorities identified the driver of the vehicle as 75-year-old William Gulliver of St. James City. The owners of Diamond Billiards tell WINK News Gulliver was tossed out of the business earlier in the day for inappropriately touching female customers.

Police have not confirmed those details, but they do say the incident is alcohol related. The investigation is ongoing at this time and criminal charges are pending.

If you’d like to donate to the GoFundMe site set up for Gravel, click here.

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