A Carbon County man was seriously injured Wednesday afternoon when the van he was driving crashed into a brick pillar outside a store in the Hometown Plaza Mall.

The crash occurred just after 3 p.m. when van struck the pillar in front of Climb-A-Lot, near the A&T store.

State police at Frackville said Arnold R. Kemmerer, 67, of Nesquehoning, was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Gladiator eastbound at a high rate of speed when he apparently suffered a medical problem. He lost control of the van, traveled across the east/west travel lanes and struck the brick pillar. The front end of the van struck the pillar. After impact, the van came to rest at that point. Troopers said the van struck the pillar with such force it caused the pillar to disintegrate, sending debris flying and breaking several windows to the Climb-A-Lot Clubhouse.

Kemmerer was removed from the van by Tamaqua Rescue Squad members and initially treated at the scene by medical personnel with the Tamaqua ambulance and Lehighton paramedics. A medical helicopter landed at another location in the plaza parking lot and transported Kemmerer to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest.

Firefighters from Hometown and Ryan township also responded to the scene.