Driver crashes into Lexington Hamburg stores, hits employee, police say

A woman drove her car through a Fan Outfitters store, hitting an employee and causing property damage in two shops Tuesday afternoon, police said.

At 2:53 p.m., the older woman in a silver Buick Enclave crashed into the retail store, completely smashing the windows, police said. The driver appeared to have lost control of her vehicle, which continued to drive through the wall into the neighboring Mattress Firm store.

Maryssa Brewer, the owner of the Mattress Firm on Sir Barton Way, said one of the display mattresses blocked the Buick’s path back out through that store’s front windows. Brewer said that she didn’t see the initial crash, but heard screaming before the car crashed through her store at about 10 to 15 mph, leaving behind a gaping hole in the wall.

She said the driver was wide awake and seemed shocked and unaware of what she was doing. The reason for the incident is still under investigation, but police say they suspect simple human error.

The Fan Outfitters employee suffered non-life threatening injuries to her lower extremities and was taken to a local hospital.

Police said the driver had not been cited.

When police and the fire department arrived, they reversed the Buick from inside the Mattress Firm, through the Fan Outfitters and back outside. The vehicle incurred minor damage.

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 5:42 PM.