Car hits Scotch Plains comic book store head-on: video
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ – A car slammed into A Little Shop of Comics in Scotch Plains early Saturday morning and everything was caught on camera. (See the video below)
“A Little Shop of Comics is temporarily closed. A car has crashed into the front of the building causing structural damage. We will keep you posted as the situation develops,” said owners Steven and Lena Olsen.
The crash happened on October 16 at 1:45 a.m. In the video at about 20 seconds, you can see a silver 2011 Mazda CX7 hurtling down Front Street before crashing head-on into the comic book store at 387 Park Ave. while exiting a traffic pole along the way. The SUV does not appear to stop or brake.
Find out what’s happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwood with free real-time Patch updates.
We can then see two people get out of the SUV and walk away just before the arrival of the police.
Police discovered the SUV had crashed and was partially inside a building, Scotch Plains Police Captain Jeffrey Briel said.
Find out what’s happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwood with free real-time Patch updates.
The Scotch Plains, Union and Elizabeth Fire Departments also helped secure the scene as the building sustained structural damage.
The driver, identified as Adrian L. Elias, 24, of Morristown, was arrested for drunk driving and automobile assault, Briel said.
Elias was taken to Overlook Hospital for treatment of neck pain. There were three other passengers in the SUV. Two passengers were uninjured and one with a cut on his forehead who refused medical treatment, Briel said.
The building’s utilities were disconnected and four apartments in the building were evacuated.
“Thank you to the Scotch Plains Fire Department and Police Department for all their hard work. And to other departments in surrounding areas who came to help us,” said Steven and Lena Olsen.
As for when the comic book store will reopen, Olsen said it was “really on hold at the moment. We are waiting for a structural engineer to assess the damage.”
Do you have a tip? Send an email to alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.
Get last minute Patch alerts straight to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don’t miss local and national announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.
To request that your name be removed from an arrest report, submit these required elements To shutdownreports@patch.com.
