‘I was literally speechless’; Car rams into Danville boutique

DANVILLE Ill. (WCIA) — A Vermilion County boutique is sorting through what’s left after a car drove through the store. It happened at Studio 31 Salon and Spa on Liberty Lane in Danville.

“We kind of hoped when we came in it was all a dream, but it wasn’t,” salon owner Kayci England said.

Danville Police said an older driver became confused about how hard he hit the gas. His car crossed two lanes of traffic and rammed through two walls of the boutique before it came to a stop.

Owners learned of the crash soon after and rushed over to see for themselves.

“As I was driving up Liberty, I just started feeling more sick and more sick knowing kind of what I was coming into, but not fully understanding the vastness of it all,” boutique owner Carley Strader said.

Piles of insulation, clothing racks and concrete are scattered around the store.

Owners said the damage is devastating but that it could have been way worse if they had been open.

“At any moment people are in the back in the breakroom and it guts you to think someone could have been back there, but thankfully no one was,” salon owner Kaylin Pratt said.

A temporary wall has been put up on the outside of the store. Owners are waiting to hear from insurance on what to do next.

“Please continue to shop local,” Strader said. “We are the ones that are donating to fundraisers and benefits and things like that in your time of need, so think of us in our time of need.”

Police said the driver of the car was hurt but is expected to be ok. He was given a ticket for failing to reduce his speed to avoid an accident.

There are three sides of the store — the salon and Paw Spa are still open. Owners hope the boutique is back up and running in time for the holidays.

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