WILSON, N.C. (WNCN) — An investigation is underway to determine what caused an SUV to crash into a Hardee’s in Wilson. The collision killed two brothers, 58-year-old Christopher Ruffin and his older brother, Clay, 62.
A newly released batch of more than a half dozen 911 calls helps give context to the moments just after the car slammed into the fast food restaurant.
In an initial call at 9:47 a.m., a caller described the location of the crash, saying, “The Hardee’s in Wilson. This car just came across from Walmart and plowed into the side of it.”
The 911 dispatcher said, “So it’s in the building?” To which the caller said, “Oh yes, he’s in the building.”
Another caller confirmed with a dispatcher that help was on the way and yelled to others on the scene “EMS is on the way! EMS is on the way!”
A more frantic call came in shortly after with one yelling “Help! At Hardee’s! At Hardee’s! We need help!” The same caller told 911 “Somebody’s hurt, help! A lot of people are hurt!”
Other calls came in to advise law enforcement that at least one person was hurt. Soon after, one said a person was dead.
“The man is dead. He’s dead. I’m telling you he’s dead,” the caller said. “He got hit on contact.”
As the person described they were near the man they presumed dead, the dispatcher offered to coach someone on the scene through performing CPR.
At this point the caller stopped and said, “Listen, his legs are gone.”
Soon after the dispatcher said, “Even if his legs are gone, we can try to do CPR.”
There was no verbal indication that anyone began CPR before the same caller said, “Somebody outside is hurt too! There’s another guy that’s hurt too.”
The last words on the 911 call log as sirens began to ring through the caller’s phone were “we need help in here now.”
