No one was injured when a driver accidentally crashed through a Federal Way storefront on Monday morning.
The incident took place about 11 a.m. May 23 at Purified Water to Go, 2012 S. 314th St. Store co-owner David Payne had just finished serving customers when he heard a revving sound, he said. That’s when the driver of a Mitsubishi SUV came crashing into the store — right where customers had just been standing, Payne said.
“I heard it come barreling through the window,” said Payne, who was standing off to the side behind the counter. “I just stood back against the wall and said ‘Oh my god.’”
No customers were in the store when the crash occurred. As they walked on a floor covered with shattered glass and debris, Payne and his wife, Carrie Bergus, were preparing to call their insurance agency. The next step is boarding up the storefront and cleaning up the mess. Payne hopes to re-open the business as soon as possible, he said.
Payne and his wife have owned the store for about six years. He believed that, other than the structural damage, the store’s water operation system escaped damage.
According to the driver’s wife at the scene, the driver had stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
“I know you guys are sorry. It was an accident,” Payne told the couple outside the store.
The driver was not cited, according to a police spokeswoman, because the incident happened on private property and no drugs or alcohol were involved. Click here to see photos from the scene.