What a sight
We went down to Devine Street today to check out their amazing annual sidewalk sale. We went into a store called Brittons, which is in a strip of stores, and while we were in there we heard what sounded like thunder. When we went two stores down to Handpicked, we heard all the talk -- an elderly lady had driven her car into the building two stores the other way! The girl at the cash register was telling us she saw some of the after-effects, and said the Mercedes hit Gibsons and she saw one of the decorative columns crumble.
Now, let me orient you quickly ... this center has street parking out front, and a parking lot out back so all the stores have a back and front entrance. This lady drove in from the back side.
So Jeni and I are done with our shopping and look and can see where the sidewalks around the store at caution-taped off. And from where we were standing at Handpicked, it didn't look too bad, although we couldn't see the car (I assumed it had been towed away). But a lady points out that we can't leave, because the firetrucks have us blocked in. So, our shopping continues and we walk through Handpicked and across Devine Street to a neat little stationary store.
It wasn't until we went to the stationary store that we realized that the lady didn't drive "into" the building (as in bump the building), but she drove "into" the building (as in three-quarters of the way through!). After about 30 minutes of window shopping, we make it back just as the firetrucks are leaving and the car is being towed out. Surprisingly little damage to the car ... the hood was scraped up, front left headlight smashed and the bumper hanging loose. But the store, that's another story. Imagine the scene in The Blues Brothers when they drive through the mall ... the shoebox shaped store had the entire center smashed, as if someone took the double doors and just pushed them all the way through the store, which I guess is what essentially happened.
Thankfully, no one was injured. The store had just opened, and the six people inside had just moved from the back to the front. Even the driver was OK, from what we heard, but we can only imagine how shaken she must be! We think she either throught she was in reverse but was in drive, and panicked when she hit the building, or she had some sort of seizure.
But what a mess! Moments like this, we wish we had a camera phone.
Now, let me orient you quickly ... this center has street parking out front, and a parking lot out back so all the stores have a back and front entrance. This lady drove in from the back side.
So Jeni and I are done with our shopping and look and can see where the sidewalks around the store at caution-taped off. And from where we were standing at Handpicked, it didn't look too bad, although we couldn't see the car (I assumed it had been towed away). But a lady points out that we can't leave, because the firetrucks have us blocked in. So, our shopping continues and we walk through Handpicked and across Devine Street to a neat little stationary store.
It wasn't until we went to the stationary store that we realized that the lady didn't drive "into" the building (as in bump the building), but she drove "into" the building (as in three-quarters of the way through!). After about 30 minutes of window shopping, we make it back just as the firetrucks are leaving and the car is being towed out. Surprisingly little damage to the car ... the hood was scraped up, front left headlight smashed and the bumper hanging loose. But the store, that's another story. Imagine the scene in The Blues Brothers when they drive through the mall ... the shoebox shaped store had the entire center smashed, as if someone took the double doors and just pushed them all the way through the store, which I guess is what essentially happened.
Thankfully, no one was injured. The store had just opened, and the six people inside had just moved from the back to the front. Even the driver was OK, from what we heard, but we can only imagine how shaken she must be! We think she either throught she was in reverse but was in drive, and panicked when she hit the building, or she had some sort of seizure.
But what a mess! Moments like this, we wish we had a camera phone.
posted by jenianddean at
1:01 PM >>
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