Albany clothing store closed for repairs after car crash damages store, injures 3

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - After a car plowed into an Albany clothing store on May 27, workers are working to reopen as employees and a shopper are recovering from injuries.

The car crashed into the Flint River Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Dawson Road before Memorial Day, but the side of the store is still boarded up. Donations are still pouring in.

Both employees and customers were in the store when a driver apparently, accidentally, put the car in drive. The impact shattered glass and moved marble countertops several feet. Two employees and a customer were hurt, but WALB was told their injuries aren’t serious.

“I was really just scared,” Arlicia Thomas, a store associate, said. “Like, I didn’t know what had happened. It was one big boom and I was really just standing right there in the shop that he ran into like two or three minutes right before. He could’ve hit me. One of my coworkers sprung her ankle, and the other one, she pulled a muscle in her back. I was fine. I just was scared, that’s all.”

Both workers and management alike were shocked when the car came into the store. The incident might mean store changes in the future.

“This took me completely off guard,” Shannon Rogers, the store manager, said. “I thought it was a nightmare. And by the time I got out here and assessed the situation, and of course, I was worried about the customers in the store and my employees. But going forward, there will be some changes made. And I don’t think any of us want to stand at the front counter anymore for checking people out. But safety comes first.”

While the store waits to find what insurance will and won’t pay for, they’re forced to close for the time being. However, employees have still been taking in donations outside.

“I’d like the community to know we will re-open. They can follow us on the Flint River Habitat Restore Clothing and Accessory Facebook page for updates. And when we re-open, it’s going to be better than ever. We’re still accepting clothing donations down at the other store, our sister store which is at 2815 Old Dawson Road,” Rogers said.

Despite the setback, Rogers says the setback won’t stop them in the long run.

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