Four injured when vehicle crashes through La Pine hardware store

Published 1:37 pm Monday, June 26, 2023

Customers and employees were injured after a Bend woman accidentally crashed into Ace Hardware in La Pine on Saturday.

It’s the second time this month that a person has crashed a car into a La Pine building.

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 51615 Huntington Road at around noon on Saturday after receiving reports that a person had driven into the building, pinning a staff member inside.

Evelyn Cox, a 66-year-old woman from Bend, drove her 2016 Jeep Cherokee into the store parking lot and accidentally stepped on her gas pedal, rather than the brake, according to a news release from Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jason Wall.

Cox allegedly crashed into the building, injuring people inside. None of the injuries was life-threatening, Wall said.

Cox, who was uninjured, was not cited after the crash.

“I think this is just truly an accident,” Wall said.

In all, four people were injured in the crash, Wall said.

A woman who was working at the cash register was pinned between the vehicle and a counter. Her injuries weren’t life-threatening, but she was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Another man was knocked to the ground and his leg was trapped under debris, Wall said.

The crash occurred less than three weeks after a man fell asleep while driving and then crashed through the wall of La Pine’s temporary library on June 7, prompting it to close indefinitely.

No one was injured in that crash. The driver was cited on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and careless driving.

Wall emphasized that people should remain attentive when they’re driving to places they’re familiar with, adding that it’s dangerously easy to “go on autopilot.” He added that drivers should eliminate distractions and multitasking while at the wheel.

“I think people need to pay a bit more attention,” Wall said.