Originally published Nov. 2, 12:47 p.m.
Updated, 4:13 p.m.–
Citrus Heights police said a “misunderstanding” between a driver’s brake and accelerator pedals sent a vehicle crashing through storefront windows in a Greenback Lane shopping center near San Juan Avenue, Monday morning — the second such incident to hit the shopping center in the past year.
Donna Chin, who works as a graphics designer at All Awards, said she arrived to find “a sea” of police and fire personnel outside the store shortly after 9 a.m. She said another employee, who arrived early for work, heard a “huge bang and saw glass flying through the door.”
Patrol Sergeant Kris Frey said no one was injured in the solo-vehicle collision, and the car was still operable with “minor to moderate” front-end damage. He said the late-model Toyota had hopped a low curb and crashed through several glass windows and a dividing wall between the awards shop and neighboring nail salon.
Sergeant Frey said police determined neither alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash and said no citation was issued for the driver. He said the female driver involved appeared to be in her mid-forties.
[See additional photo from scene]
Staff at the damaged awards and engraving shop said there were no ill-feelings toward the driver and were glad no one had been injured in the crash. Damage estimates to the shop could not be immediately assessed, but were described by All Awards staff as “extensive.”
“Obviously we have to get it repaired,” said employee Adrienne Isaac, as she cleaned up glass shards on the floor after the incident. She jokingly added, “We’re not becoming a drive-thru service.”
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A similar incident occurred in the same shopping center last October, when a driver crashed his Volvo into the nearby Safeway store. That collision was also believed to have been a gas pedal mix-up.
[From last year: Volvo Crashes Through Front of Safeway on Greenback]
Update: The female driver involved was later confirmed to be the owner of the neighboring nail salon.
