Guam Fire and Police Department units responded to the scene after an SUV crashed into Guam AutoSpot in Hagåtña on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.
Bintenson Simina
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Police Department said Bintenson Simina, 21, was confined to the Department of Corrections on offenses that include driving while impaired, causing bodily injury and theft of a motor vehicle on Saturday, the same day a car pummeled through the Guam AutoSpot car dealership showroom in Hagåtña, injuring six people.
GPD spokesperson Officer Berlyn Savella said, “The initial assessment revealed that six individuals were injured in the crash. One victim was transported to Naval Hospital, while five others were taken to Guam Memorial Hospital with injuries ranging from minor to serious. As of early (Sunday) morning at 5:55 a.m., Naval Hospital has not yet released any information regarding the status of the patient.”
A video of the scene after the incident showed at least three individuals — two women and a man — lying on the showroom floor.
Guam AutoSpot released a statement thanking first responders and asking the community to keep those injured in Saturday’s crash in their prayers.
“This evening, a car traveling northbound on Marine Corps Drive crossed the center lane and crashed into our building, injuring several individuals. At this time, the matter is still under investigation by the Guam Police Department. First responders from GPD and Guam Fire Department responded and transported those injured. We thank them for the quick response and ask everyone to keep those injured and their families in your prayers as we keep them in ours. The driver of the vehicle is in GPD’s custody,” AutoSpot said in a press release.
Following the crash, pictures and videos surfaced on social media depicting a red Honda HR-V sport utility vehicle with Triple J tags and a male individual wearing a Triple J shirt inside the AutoSpot showroom in the aftermath.
Simina is an employee of Triple J Motors.
Triple J said, “We are deeply saddened by (Saturday’s) tragic incident involving an off-duty employee. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their families. We are fully cooperating with authorities as they carry out their investigation.”
The crash prompted GPD to shut down all southbound lanes on Route 1 by AutoSpot as an investigation was conducted Saturday evening.
On Sunday, GPD was conducting follow-up investigations and said, “The investigation into the traffic crash is ongoing, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available. We extend our sincere thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families during this difficult time. We also want to thank the public for their patience and understanding as we continue our investigation. Your support is greatly appreciated.”
