ORANGE CITY, Fla. — A pickup truck crashed into an extended-stay hotel in Orange City on Tuesday afternoon, damaging dozens of units and displacing dozens of guests.
It happened Tuesday afternoon at the Arabella Inn, also known as 1876 Heritage Inn, located along Volusia Avenue.
The American Red Cross North and Central Florida Region responded to the scene and said that 36 units were affected by the crash. Disaster Action Team volunteers have since been working to provide emergency assistance to the residents who can no longer stay in the building.
Among those displaced were 11 juveniles. In total, more than 50 individuals were forced to leave their homes following the crash.
Red Cross officials opened an emergency shelter at the First Presbyterian Church of New Smyrna Beach to provide relief. The shelter, located at 509 Magnolia Street, will offer free services to anyone affected by the incident.
In addition to a safe place to stay, the church location will help provide cots, blankets, meals, and personal care items to displaced residents.
The hotel’s owner told Channel 9 that one of the renters was sitting in his parked truck in the parking lot when it accelerated into the building.
WFTV has reached out to Orange City public information officials about the incident and will provide an update to this story once additional details become available.
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