BROOKLYN, Ohio -- More than a week after a drunken Cleveland woman crashed her 2017 Chrysler Pacifica into a Ridge Road building in Brooklyn, a business owner is picking up the pieces in hopes of rebuilding.
The business, which was damaged Jan. 27, is Ortiz Art Drafts & Design LLC.
“It’s unbelievable,” said owner Hermes Ortiz, who lives in Brooklyn. “When we arrived to see the damage, my wife started to cry. It’s terrible.
“Right now, we’re cleaning up while the owner for the property is waiting on repairs through the insurance. It’s not easy. I’m going through my insurance, too, for the equipment.”
Ortiz doesn’t know when the building will be fixed.
The driver, who was taken to the hospital with bumps and bruises, was charged with drunk driving and failure to control.
Police Chief Scott Mielke said he doesn’t remember another incident involving a drunk driver going through a storefront in the city.
“Our officer was on patrol at the Biddulph Plaza shopping center,” Mielke said. “As he was pulling out onto Ridge Road, he noticed a vehicle pass him that started weaving. He was speeding to catch up to it.
“She was probably doing about 60 mph. She bounced off a couple of curbs. Right in that area, she hit the curb again, overcorrected and went straight towards the building. She hit it so hard it actually spun the car to where it looked like it’s going southbound.”
The police chief said the good news was that the business, despite the damage, is able to stay open through the repairs.
“This lady in particular had no prior drunk driving arrests or convictions on her record,” Mielke said. “She’s a first-time offender.
“People have to understand when they’re out and about they need to arrange for a ride.
“Nowadays, there’s not much of an excuse, between Uber and taxis. She admitted to having too much to drink at the bar. She claimed not to remember too much.”
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