It might cost Dollar General more than just a dollar to fix the gaping hole created when a vehicle rammed the front of the building.
Baldwin City resident Herbert Neale, 77, said he accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal while parking Tuesday. The result was a 10-by-10 foot hole in the front of the building, a damaged car, hundreds of dollars worth of destroyed merchandise and a four-hour closure at the store.
“I didn’t even want to go to town,” Neale said. “I was going to park at the store, then go to the pharmacy and get a shot of cortisone.”
Lacy Erickson, a manager at Dollar General, said she was thankful no one sustained any injuries.
“Our store manager was almost hit by it,” Erickson said. “She was standing right by the door. She was a little shaken up when it happened, but she’s better now.”
Neale said he was initially concerned he had hurt someone but was relieved when he discovered the only things hurt by his car were the building and items on sale.
Erickson said the wall was not the only thing damaged by the accident, as some merchandise was also ruined.
“A lot of cosmetics were destroyed,” Erickson said. “What was outside, like ice scrapers and de-icers, didn’t make it. Our shelving units were pushed about four feet. We lost a lot but not as much as everybody probably expected.”
Baldwin City Police Chief Mike McKenna said because the accident was on private property, all the department could do was write the accident report. He said insurance companies are now responsible for handling the incident.
Erickson said she was not yet sure what type of legal action Dollar General was going to take, but she said she was touched by the community’s support for her, her coworkers and the well-being of the store.
“Lots of customers called,” she said. “They just wanted to make sure we were OK. Nobody was hurt and everything is replaceable.”