When Jane Kramer returned from holiday, there was a new feature to her store: a hole in the wall.
Someone had driven a car into the north side of La Belle Vie in downtown Cloverdale.
The incident happened last Thursday afternoon (Aug. 16). An employee was ringing through a customer’s purchase at the back of the shop when the vehicle crashed into the side of the building from the adjacent parking lot, Kramer said.
Home decor merchandise such as lamps, mirrors and clocks crashed to the ground. Neighbouring businesses heard the bang, and the customer at the cash register thought an earthquake had struck.
Kramer estimates there was thousands of dollars worth of damage. However, she’s keeping things in perspective.
“Everything can be replaced,” she said in a phone interview. “I’m just happy no one was hurt. You think you’re safe with a parking lot on the other side. It would have been dangerous if someone had been up there [on that side of the store].”
—Kristine Salzmann
