Driver injured after crashing into Mattituck Plaza building
A woman was injured Wednesday afternoon after she accidentally drove into the side of Renee’s Home Furnishings in Mattituck, Southold Town Police said.
Dorothy Fisher, 89, of Orient had just finished using the Capital One ATM when the accelerator “became stuck,” police said. Ms. Fisher spun out and smashed the car into the building about 1:10 p.m., according to a police report.
Ms. Fisher was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center with a non-life threatening leg injury, police said. She was the only person in the vehicle.
Skid marks were visible at the ATM and several bricks in the building had collapsed, leaving a hole in the side of the wall. Workers are currently cleaning the area up.
The owner of Renee’s, Bill Gildersleeve, said he didn’t see the accident happen but was 20 feet away when the car barreled into the building.
“I thought [something] came right through the ceiling at first,” he said, describing a “plume of smoke” inside the store.
Mr. Gildersleeve said demolitions workers will have to take down the side of the building to repair it. He said a lot of furniture, lamps, and pictures were damaged in the crash.
“It’s a little bit of a warzone here … It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Everyone was okay inside the building and that’s the most important thing.”
