Monday, May 27, 2013 23:35
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ARTICLE COURTISY OF THE TOWN & COUNTRY NEWSPAPER.
Written by Kelly Chandler, Staff Writer
Amid the wreckage of bricks and broken glass, a juvenile walked away uninjured after his red Nissan Sentra crashed through the front of the Turkey Hill Minit Market at 515 Main St. in Red Hill Monday night.The accident occurred around 11:35 p.m. at the convenience store, which suffered structural damage and was closed Tuesday and into Wednesday.
According to Red Hill Fire Marshal John Lehr, the driver was west on Sixth Street when he failed to stop at the “T” intersection at Main Street and jumped the curb at Turkey Hill and crashed into a traffic signal box.
The vehicle kept going at a high rate of speed, narrowly missing a row of gas pumps and an employee, who was reportedly outside sweeping, before crashing into the building. The store is open until midnight daily.
“How he missed the gas pumps, I don’t know,” Lehr said, retracing the car’s path into the building. “I’m amazed.”
The driver reportedly refused medical treatment at the scene.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation but a local official said the teen reported his vehicle’s accelerator stuck and he was unable to stop.
Lehr reported damages will likely exceed $100,000 to both the traffic device and the store. An employee at the location declined comment Tuesday morning. The store and gas pumps were still closed as of Wednesday afternoon.
The store was deemed structurally sound by Red Hill’s engineer, Barry Islett, following the crash, allowing employees inside.
A phone call to Turkey Hill’s corporate office was unanswered as of press time Wednesday.
State police, Skippack barracks, were unable to issue any further information on the accident by Wednesday.
State police, Red Hill Fire Company, Red Hill borough personnel and Upper Perk Am-bulance assisted at the scene.
An investigation continues.
