Cleanup in aisle one! On Saturday afternoon, May 30, Duane Reade (Walgreens) on Beach 116th Street got a temporary drive-through when a driver crashed their SVU right through a glass window on the side of the building. The incident occurred right up the block from FDNY’s Engine 268/Ladder 137, which quickly arrived on scene, followed by NYPD and EMS.
Fortunately, everyone in the car was OK and the driver was treated on scene for minor injuries. The accident was just that—an accident. Witnesses said the driver meant to reverse to leave the parking lot, but the car was in drive, sending the vehicle crashing through the window, through a wall of stacked toilet paper, and down the first aisle.
Firefighters worked to remove debris from the area, to attempt to reverse the vehicle out of the store. At a weird angle, NYPD Emergency Services Unit was brought in to hitch a chain to the vehicle, to straighten it out so it could clear the opening. The vehicle sustained minimal damage to the passenger door, mirror and front bumper.
This was not the first time that location had a vehicle crash through the window. Duane Reade closed for a few hours and was open by the evening.
