APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz — It was open mic night Saturday at the Elks Lodge and the bar was packed.
Richie Sickels, a drummer, was performing Saturday night and as he stepped outside with some friends to say goodbye, the unimaginable happened.
"It was so quick, there wasn't any time to react," Sickels recalled.
A truck plowed right into the building, smashing through to where everyone inside was gathered. Sickels' friends were nearly hit by it, he says.
"It sounded like a war movie, and of course the debris went flying," he said.
He ran inside to check that his band mates were okay. It was then that he noticed several people trapped underneath the truck screaming for help. The truck's engine continued to roar.
"It sounded like Armageddon," he said. "We started trying to clear the debris around the other people that were pinned down by the truck."
According to the Apache Junction Police Department 30 people were injured that night. About a dozen people were taken to the hospital in serious condition.
Thankfully, nobody was killed.
Police arrested Thomas Kain, 73, who they said is responsible for the situation. Investigators believe he was intoxicated when he got behind the wheel of the truck. Kain was booked into the Pinal County jail on suspicion 12 counts of aggravated assault, 17 counts of endangerment and DUI. Police said more charges are expected.
Sickels said he's still trying to comprehend how something like this could happen. At the same time he's thankful for the emergency crews who helped save those inside, and relieved and that no one was killed.
The city urged people to avoid driving drunk — that even a single moment could change everything for not just you, but those around you:
We are grateful that there were no fatalities and this story could have ended very differently. We want everyone to remember that drunk driving can have serious consequences, not just for the driver but for everyone around them. To keep our community safe, always plan ahead for a safe ride if you’ve been drinking and encourage friends and family to do the same.
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