EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — An Illinois woman’s first day driving for a third-party Amazon delivery service partner is one she will never forget.
At least six people were killed after an Amazon distribution center in suburban St. Louis partially collapsed as severe weather rolled through the area, authorities said Saturday.
Gina Wills, 27, of Cahokia Heights, was finishing her deliveries on her first day of work when she heard sirens, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Her dispatcher urged her to make the delivery and return to the distribution center in Edwardsville, Illinois.
But Wills stopped to help another driver who was locked out of their van, the newspaper reported. She believes she would have been at the center when the deadly tornado roared through the facility.
First day on the job: New driver says she was headed back to the Amazon warehouse when disaster struck
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) December 12, 2021
https://t.co/gc0NE2xfmU
“It was chaos last night,” Wills told the Post-Dispatch.
Wills’ supervisor told her not to go to the facility, so she took her Amazon Prime van home.
>> 6 confirmed dead at Amazon facility after storm causes collapse
Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos called news of Friday’s deadly tornado “tragic.”
“We’re heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones,” he wrote. “All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site.”
(2/2) All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) December 12, 2021
Wills returned to the Amazon facility Saturday and was relieved to see that her vehicle was not damaged. She was even more grateful that she had been delayed.
“I was frustrated with the deliveries and packages and everything,” Willis told the Post-Dispatch. “And then it got dark. And then I heard the sirens going off, and I’m like, ‘OK!’
“But I keep thinking, that could have been me inside that building.”
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