Denny’s says safety is top priority after fallen restaurant sign kills 72-year-old Kentucky woman

By Sara Smart, Hannah Sarisohn and Christina Zdanowicz, CNN

A 72-year-old woman died Thursday afternoon after a Denny’s sign fell and crushed a car in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, according to police.

A spokesperson for the restaurant chain said the company is working with authorities to assess the situation.

“Denny’s is aware of the incident that took place at our Elizabethtown location on Thursday. Safety is our top priority, and we are working with the authorities to better understand what led to this situation,” Denny’s said in a statement provided to CNN.

“Our thoughts are with all of those involved,” the statement said.

All three people inside the vehicle had to be extracted — two adult females and one adult male, said Elizabethtown Police Public Information Officer, Chris Denham. Elizabethtown is about 45 miles south of Louisville.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Denham told CNN affiliate WAVE. “It’s certainly very windy out here and I’m certain that did have a factor and was involved in this.”

There was a wind advisory in effect Thursday afternoon, with gusts peaking from 45 to 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The woman killed was identified Friday as 72-year-old Lillian Curtis, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said in a media release obtained by CNN.

The cause of death was listed as “blunt force injuries” when the restaurant sign fell on the vehicle, according to the release.

In an update Friday afternoon, the Elizabethtown Police Department told CNN that Curtis was sitting in the backseat of the vehicle at the time. The vehicle was not Curtis’ and the other two passengers in the car were her daughter and husband, police said.

The 72-year-old woman was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital in critical condition and later died, according to police.

The two other adults were transported to Baptist Health Hardin with non-life-threatening injuries, Denham said.

The investigation is ongoing, Denham said.

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CNN’s Haley Brink contributed to this report.