FENWICK ISLAND, De. -- Shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Friday morning, a car drove straight through Southern Exposure on Coastal Highway. Multiple people were injured and one person had to be airlifted to Christiana Hospital, according to the Bethany Beach Fire Company.
It took at least seven departments to shore up the building and clear the scene. The Roxana, Bethany Beach, Millville, Ocean City, Frankford, Rehoboth Beach and Dagsboro fire crews were all present.
We spoke with Tracy Connell and Becka McWilliams, who were inside Southern Exposure shopping at the moment of impact.
“All the sudden we heard what sounded like a loud bomb," said Connell. "Yep, like a really loud noise and debris was flying, like drywall and things like that."
The car came within a few feet of the two friends.
“It’s like how, how did she not stop at the brick wall, I mean she plowed right through the wall and then another wall almost to the back of the building," said McWilliams.
A Southern Exposure employee was hit directly, according to McWilliams and Connell.
"The woman who works in the store who was standing right next to us, hit her and basically drove her into one wall and then the back wall I think, pinned her up against the back wall of the store," said Connell.
Tim Collins, the owner of Southern Exposure, did confirm to WBOC that his employee needed to be flown to Christiana Hospital.
"My daughter-in-law Kay spoke to her and she was conscious, she seemed to be okay in terms of being able to communicate," said Collins.
Around 12:30, crews were finally able to dislodge the car from the store. At which point, the focus turned to making sure the building was structurally sound.
For Collins, the inventory and any other materials damaged from the crash are an afterthought.
"The concern now is the condition of all people that were involved, we're hoping and praying that all goes okay," said Collins. "We'll work with the insurance company, we'll get the building fixed, we've been in business for 35 or 40 years here in Fenwick, we'll reopen, we'll keep going, we'll get through that part of it."
Collins said he was extremely thankful for the amount of phone calls and texts he got from people checking in and for the speedy response from local fire and EMS crews.
We were unable to get confirmation on the identity of the driver, but Collins, Connell and McWilliams all said they spoke with the driver.
“We sat with the driver and she just feels terrible, very, I mean my heart was breaking for her we felt really bad for her because it was an accident," said Connell.
The employees condition is still unknown. What may have caused the crash is still under investigation.