With over 20% of adults between the ages of 20 and 64 suffering from untreated tooth decay, attending regular dental checkups is an important part of keeping up good dental hygiene. For one Novi, MI resident, however, his recent visit to the dentist turned into a nightmare after he was pinned against the wall when an SUV crashed through the office.

The recent accident was caused by an elderly patient who was on her way to the James C. Ross Family, Cosmetic and Laser Dentistry office for a dental visit when she lost control of the vehicle and drove into the outside wall of the office. Her car pinned a man, who was in the middle of dental procedure, up against the wall and flung a dental hygienist across the room.

Dr. James Ross had just left the room when he heard the loud collision. After running back to the exam room to see what had happened, he found his patient stuck under the SUV, screaming for help. Dr. Ross, along with the patient, pushed against the car and were eventually able to back the SUV off of the patient’s lap.

The patient, driver and dental hygienist were all treated for injuries at the scene and were later transported to a local hospital to receive further treatment. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Local rescue workers were able to extract the car from the building around 2 p.m., about an hour after the accident occurred. They believe that the driver was attempting to back her car into a parking space upon pulling into the parking lot. She had not, however, put her car into reverse before applying pressure to the gas pedal, and was subsequently launched forward through the brick wall of the building.

Dr. Ross said that the driver is a longtime patient of his and one of the nicest people he knows. He added that she was very distraught after the accident and couldn’t believe what had happened.

The accident is currently being investigated by the local Novi Police Department.