Fennville rallies around Pizza Quest owner, injured in car wreck

FENNVILLE — A local business owner is on the mend after getting in a serious car accident on his way to work.

Nick “Chewie” Chard, owner of Pizza Quest in Fennville, was on his way to the restaurant Thursday, July 25, when he attempted to avoid a deer in the road. The car crashed, and Chard suffered a vertebral burst fracture and several broken teeth.

Chard, lightheartedly and from his hospital bed, explained the accident on social media.

“I attempted and successfully landed a new Evel Knievel style jump (AKA swerved around a deer and crashed),” he wrote Monday. “Unfortunately, my car and my body did not come out well.”

Chard is still recovering in the hospital. Since the accident, a GoFundMe was created to support him, his family and his business. It's raised over $30,000, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.

“Chewie is not just a pretty face and the best pizza artist of all time,” the GoFundMe reads. “He is also a husband, father of three, and a new business owner that continues to enthusiastically feed our communities and make us all smile. The revenue and product his business will lose from this accident (not to mention medical bills) could be devastating if we don't help. We ask as pizza lovers and human beings for your help.”

More: Pizza Quest officially opens in former West Michigan Pizza Co. in Fennville

Chard opened Pizza Quest last summer in the former home of West Michigan Pizza Co. at 218 E. Main St. The plea for help has been met with lines out the door, and Chard has received countless messages of support.

“The support I’ve been shown indicates how powerful a community can be when they look out for each other,” Chard said Monday. “It's more like a family.”

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“Even though I am worried beyond words, I am so comforted by the tremendous amount of love shown to me and my family, including my work family,” Chard added. “We are strong — and ultimately I’m ready for my cyborg and bone armor upgrades.”

Visit the fundraiser at gofund.me/43445eba .

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com .

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Fennville rallies around Pizza Quest owner, injured in car wreck