LIHU‘E — An 85-year-old Lihu‘e woman drove her Buick Century inside the Lihu‘e 7-Eleven convenience store around 9:35 a.m. Tuesday, nearly hitting at least two people and apparently escaping major injuries. Store manager Charito Balaan said their delivery man grabbed
LIHU‘E — An 85-year-old Lihu‘e woman drove her Buick Century inside the Lihu‘e 7-Eleven convenience store around 9:35 a.m. Tuesday, nearly hitting at least two people and apparently escaping major injuries.
Store manager Charito Balaan said their delivery man grabbed her from the middle aisle right before the car crashed into the store. She had a small scratch on her elbow, but felt relieved no one was seriously injured.
Richard Agaran, a driver for Coca-Cola, was doing his usual delivery at the store when he heard a loud noise. He said he turned around to see the car inside the store, right next to him.
The driver was still sitting in the car when Agaran approached her.
“She said she had her foot on the brake pedal. I looked inside and her foot was on the gas pedal,” Agaran said.
County officials said that according to preliminary reports the woman was attempting to park her car in front of the store, and stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.
Her car crashed into the front window, coming to a rest almost completely inside the store. The car’s back tires sat where the glass windows once stood.
Inside the store, the car took out the magazine rack and a large counter immediately in front of it.
Ralph Suniga, manager at Coca-Cola, arrived at the scene of the accident within minutes, and was relieved no one was hurt.
“Luckily nobody was behind those counters,” he said.
Clammie Manibon, a 7-Eleven employee, was helping a customer at the register when she saw the car crash through the glass windows.
“I thought she was going to stop, but she just came all the way, straight inside,” she said. Afraid for her co-workers who were sweeping in the nearby aisles, she screamed and called out their names. “If they never got out, they would have been smashed in the middle.”
Another employee ran as soon as she saw the car coming towards the window.
Five patrol cars and at least seven police officers, plus several Emergency Medical Services personnel, arrived at the scene shortly after the crash. The driver appeared conscious when EMS personnel took her into the ambulance.
County officials said the woman was transported to Wilcox Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released. The woman reportedly suffered no injuries.
7-Eleven remained closed while they replaced the broken window with wood and cleaned up the remaining damage. The store reopened the doors to customers later in the day.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
• Kim Tamaoka, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 241) or ktamaoka@kauaipubco.com.
