By TOM DIDDEL
On Thursday afternoon an eighty-three year old tried to park her mini-van a little too close to Missoula’s Orange Street Food Farm.
According to the Missoulian, at 2:45 pm an elderly woman drove her beige Toyota Sienna into the front of the grocery store.
Assistant manager Tom Hendrix, who was interviewed in the Missoulian article said the woman was seen driving at a high rate of speed through the grocery store’s parking seconds before her vehicle crashed into the front of the store.
Alex Fisher was operating the store’s cash register when he heard the crash and jumped out of the way. Orange Street Food Farm Floor Manager Venessa Hendrix stated to KPAX.com that she “looked over and (she) could see the ice machine moving into the soda display, into the beer display, and then into the wine display. So it was a terrible domino effect that happened. And you can hear the tires spinning and there was smoke all over.”
The mini-van, driven by the eighty-three year old woman entered the store just left of the entrance pedestrians use. While the photos show what looks like extensive damage, the vehicle was removed by firefighters in less than an hour, as reported in the Missoulian article.
The driver of the vehicle was not cited for the incident according to the KPAX.com story, and fortunately the only casualties sustained were to an Alaskan Black IPA beer display and some Shooting Star wine. The driver, store employees, and other patrons all remained unscathed.
After some mopping and sweeping by the stores employees and repairs to the front window the store was back on track and ready for a busy weekend.
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Each week, Tom Diddel recaps the week’s most talked-about story in Missoula. Visit the Make it Missoula News & Opinion section for more talk of the town.
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Tom Diddel has lived in Missoula on and off for nearly thirty-eight years. He enjoys skiing, hiking, and many other outdoor activities. He holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Montana and is currently working as a Freelance Writer and a Para-Educator.