Tragedy Today At JoAnn Fabrics

Oh my goodness, I'm still shaking.  Today, my mom and I were shopping at JoAnns, I wanted a new detail tip hot glue gun.  I don't NEED one, but I just want one. My mom is so good to me.  On the rare occasion that I feel good enough to leave the house, my mom will drive me wherever I want to go.  Today, I came close to losing her.

The JoAnn we were at today, is not one of the huge mega-store ores, but it's not teeny by any means. A 78 year old woman DROVE THROUGH THE STORE!! Well, technically not "through," but into.  This woman drove up over those cement blocks that are in the parking spaces, then over the curb.  Through 4 of those metal bins full of items  for sale, (like a sidewalk sale.)  Then  through the double doors (steel framed)  THEN she took out 19 AISLES OF SHELVES!!!  They fell like dominoes!!  The fabric cutting counter was demolished,  and only one of the three registers are still standing.  She also took out two aisles that were perpendicular to the others.  Her vehicle went through 2/3 of the store!!!  She really had to have been driving pretty fast.

My mom was on the 19th aisle, and I was on the 20th. She had JUST LEFT that aisle and turned the corner to meet me when the shelves started falling like dominoes! One knocking down the next, and the next.  The shelves are so high, that I didn't even know what was knocking them over at that point, but I saw them all falling, and shoved my mom out of the way! I didn't know if I'd get out of the way ... but I wasn't going to let my mom get hurt if I could help it.  It was then that we saw the car rolling just a few feet more forward,

We were very lucky.  The store manager was taken to the hospital, with a hurt arm.  A JoAnns employee, Carol, and a little old lady were both pinned under the car, along with the 19 aisles of metal shelving and all that product.  I will be hearing their screams for a very long time.  I immediately dialed 911, as the smell of gas was filling what was left of the store. Some people were trying to help get them out, but there was nothing anyone could do without the fire department and paramedics.  There was so much blood, and screaming and suffering.

Something else that keeps ringing in my ears, and replaying in my head, is this woman started running and screaming, "MOM??! WHERE ARE YOU??!  MOM!!!!"   And right then you hear "HELP ME!!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!!"  And those agonizing screams were  coming from under the car.  It was her mother.  I don't know how many more people were injured, because the 911 operator told me to go outside and flag down the fire trucks.  (I was glad to get out, because with that gas smell so strong, I was scared it  would explode!)  It was horrible to hear people screaming, and there is NOTHING you can do.

The fire dept had to use the jaws of life, and when they finally got the older lady out, they had her on a stretcher, racing her out to the ambulance, and her body was covered.  I bet she won't make it.  (I'm still shaking)  I was trying to help calm the poor daughter of one of the pinned women, but... it was bad.  I asked if I could call anyone for her, and she was just so shook up and she said she'd do it eventually.  But she was so distraught.  I took a video of everything, after I called 911, but I don't think I should post it. I want to show the damage, but not the injured people, and nobody needs to hear those screams for help.

Oh, and the driver was able to get out on her own, and didn't get even a SCRATCH.  Not even whiplash, nor did she get knocked out from the airbags.  Wow.

 She was driving fast! She HAD to have been.  My gosh.  The news helicopters were hovering so quickly.  They were there right after the paramedics.  My brother ust called and saw  footage (Overhead from the helicopters) and the news story told that the driver said she was in park.  Um..NO!  There's no way  she could have driven 2/3 through a store along with all the obstacles if she was "in park." When I was giving my witness statement, The driver was right next to me and she was giving her statement, and they were assessing her.  She told the auto investigator that she was parking, and hit the gas instead of the brake.  Those were HER words.  The investigator then asked  how she got enough  speed to do that damage, and she didn't reply.  she started hyperventilating.  I do feel bad for her, I can't imagine being responsible for seriously injuring people.  She also said she had just came from getting her hair cut.  I just hope it wasn't something silly like her checking out her new haircut in the mirror, and wasn't paying attention!!

We  had to stick around and give witness statements, etc.  But I'm still shook up, and physically still shaking.

Dang, and I really wanted that Detail Tip Glue Gun!! I'm happy to leave with my life though!

I hope everyone has a good,  safe day.  





"Don't glue anything I wouldn't glue!!"