Dozens injured when truck crashes into Arizona Elks Lodge – UPI.com

Sept. 8 (UPI) — Police are investigating the crash of a vehicle into an Elks Lodge Saturday night in Apache Junction, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix, injuring more than two dozen people.

“The driver is in custody, and alcohol was a contributing factor,” the Apache Junction Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.

The Apache Junction Elks Lodge’s Facebook page says there was an “open mic” night taking place at the venue when the accident occurred. All of the injured people were adults and were sitting inside the establishment, according to the Superstition Fire Department.

Ten of the injured people were transported to local hospitals and 15 other victims were treated for minor injuries at the scene, police said.

The Elks Lodge is on N. Apache Trail in Apache Junction, a city about 45 minutes east of Phoenix amid sprawling cacti fields and open Sonoran desert.

A photo released by local police late on Saturday showed a dark-colored full size pickup truck having come to rest near a stage inside the lodge, surrounded by debris, appearing to have driven into the building.