Driver Hospitalized After Crashing Into Florist Shop In South Jersey
By Syma Chowdhry
BURLINGTON, NJ (CBS) -- "All of a sudden I hear the loudest crash I've ever heard. Glass shattering and crystal falling," says Jennifer Kelly.
Jennifer Kelly first heard the commotion and then saw the accident.
A car crashed into the Stein at Sunset Florist shop in Burlington around 11:30 Tuesday morning.
"I smelled smoke and burnt rubber and I instantly dashed over to the side to see what happened and I see a car in our store."
Witnesses say the driver, identified as 54-year-old Robert Pedro, Jr., lost control at this intersection, hopped the curb and drove into the side of the building.
An employee was about 15 feet away from the crash.
"Some glass kind of went in her direction but nothing hit her. There was a customer in there as well but they were both okay, definitely shaken up but nobody was injured," says Jennifer.
The driver of the car was alert after the crash. He was taken to Cooper Hospital.
Jennifer says, "I saw him frantically waving his arms inside the vehicle. We kept telling him help is on the way, we can't get to you, we are sorry."
Patrick Kelly, the store owner, was not inside at the time.
"He had to been moving pretty quickly, he took out the whole corner of the store."
He has never seen anyone lose control of their car in this area.
"We just got a new light over here, they put in last year. It's not dangerous. People don't go speeding through here."
The employees of the family-owned florist are trying to clean up quickly. With the holidays around the corner, Kelly says it's important to get back to business.
"Unfortunately, it's three weeks before Christmas and that was our gift shop showroom. We'll see."
The driver was taken to Cooper with injuries to his legs and his head.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash. They are looking to see if speed and/or weather had anything to do with it.
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