Video Captures Escalade's Smashing Entrance Into Dry Cleaners
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - New surveillance tape shows a black Cadillac Escalade driving through an open door at a Fort Lauderdale dry cleaner on Friday morning in what could have been a deadly accident.
Seven people---most of them employees at Dryclean U.S.A. on the 17th Street Causeway---were transported to the hospital. Fortunately, no one was standing next to the front door where there was the strongest impact.
The video shows the SUV that police say was driven by 85-year-old John Powell of Fort Lauderdale approaching the store and driving through the front door as if it the business were a garage.
Vaida Morali, the owner of the Barkers Pet Center nearby at 761 S.E. 17th St., told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "You see it happening on the news. You never think this would happen to you."
"Everyone was scared," she said. "We had to evacuate our business. It was closed for a few hours. Thank God nobody in our business was injured."
Businesses in the strip mall had to evacuated while crews secured ruptured gas and water lines.
Candice McPherson said she was nearly struck by Powell's SUV and was one of the first to see his vehicle approach.
"As soon as I walked out, that was when he must have put his foot on the pedal and when he did that, I dodged this way and saw him immediately go into the Dry Cleaner and I ran immediately from the parking lot into the dry cleaner to see what the situation was," she said.
CLICK HERE to watch Peter D'Oench's report
"It was panic," said McPherson. "It was all about panic. But I wanted to make sure people at the Dry cleaner could be helped. There was no way they could have seen that coming. I feel like it could have been a whole lot worse. I am pretty grateful there were a minimal amount of people injured. But it definitely made me think anything can happen throughout the day."
Fort Lauderdale Police say Powell was cited for failing to use due care. They say it's not been determined if Powell's medical condition lead to the accident.
Store owner Sisnaraine Singh said Powell was a regular customer and said, "I never thought anything like this would happen. The truck went half way in to the store."
Singh said his insurance could cover most of the damages.
Cheripin Charite, who works at the store and who was injured, said on Friday, "I heard a boom. I didn't know what happened but the car was in there. I tried to get out but I kept hitting back and forth."
Singh's son, whose shoulder was dislocated, said he hoped the business would be able to reopen by the end of this week or early next week but he also said that would be up to city inspectors.
D'Oench also stopped at John Powell's home where his wife told him her husband did not want to say anything. She said that her husband had recently acquired the Cadillac Escalade and said she thought something had gone wrong with the vehicle.
