Three people were injured when a minivan crashed into a Sam’s Food Store in Hartford early this morning, leaving the store with a large hole in its brick wall and some shaken up customers.
Mikki Simons, of Woodbury, was inside with her fiancé when the car crashed through and said she’s grateful they are both OK. She said they are just a few months away from her wedding day.
“My fiancé jumped on the counter, and he started screaming. And I thought maybe we had been shot at or something. And I turned and I looked, and there was a minivan behind me. Like the whole minivan was in the store,” Simmons said
The crash happened at 145 New Britain Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on Friday and police have identified the driver as Rosa Rios, 27, of Hartford.
They said her foot slipped off the brake and onto the gas.
She was charged with failure to carry a license, no insurance and unsafe movement.
Simons said she was hit with some of the debris, which was thrown throughout the store upon impact from the car.
Witnesses said that a man and a woman were on the ground immediately following the crash.
Police said the injuries sustained are not life-threatening and the victims were taken to Hartford Hospital.
“Next to me there was a woman on the ground,” Simons said. “And there was another -- there was a guy on the ground. And I’m not sure if he had been hit by the minivan or not, but he was on the ground and not getting up.”
Witnesses said the driver appeared to be dazed and confused.
The building inspector temporarily stabalized the store. It is likely the store will be closed all day.
