(no subject)

[guttyelg.livejournal.com]

Soooo...
Someone crashed an SUV through the window of Porter Square Books this morning?

Comments

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

Blink!?

Link?

Some Details

[girlsnqueers.livejournal.com]

I was walking on the sidewalk across the parking lot from the store when it happened. I heard a big crash and when I looked up there was the back end of an SUV sticking out of the part of Porter Square Books plateglass window where customers sit with coffee and pastries. I really hope they had time to get out of the way. A thirty or forty-something white guy with a beard (?) and glasses scrambled out of the window (which was more of a more doorway because of the crash) seeming not to be at all injured and looking like he was trying to reassure people. I also heard screaming/crying, but it could've from someone who was uninjured, since even across the lot the incident was pretty scary. Lots of people were on their cellphones calling 911 and there was a fire engine already parked by Shaws and Cambridge Savings, from which personnel were running to the accident site. I also heard plenty of other sirens as I made my way home.

I too am curious what happened. Unless the SUV had no brakes, I can't imagine how the accident happened. The SUV had to actually cross a sidewalk to wind up where it was. Literally at least half of the vehicle ended up inside the bookstore.

Re: Some Details

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Oh that's awful. They've put so much energy and money into that wonderful little store...

Re: Some Details

[oliverjolliffe.livejournal.com]

hey girlsnqueers

My mom was one of the people who was injured in the bookstore when the SUV crashed through the window. She's at a Boston hospital and appears to be okay but has a very tough road ahead...

My brother and I are trying to get a better sense of what happened and because we only saw the photo in the sunday globe (metro b4) we thought of going online and came across these posts. I was wondering if you might have any more information or photos from yesterday.

Re: Some Details

[ron_newman]

Oliver, see this post where I link to several other accounts of the accident, including one from Dave Stallard who was among the people injured there.

Re: Some Details

[girlsnqueers.livejournal.com]

Hello,
I am so sorry. What I wrote above is pretty much all I saw and heard. I should also clarify as I did in another thread that the thirty or forty-something guy came out of the store, not the vehicle. I'm assuming you have already checked the other posts in this community from the date of the accident. If not, be careful of the replies to the photo post. I found some of them infuriating and callous to the people who were injured (posters framing the accident as a mistake an anyone could make) and I was only a witness to the incident. The more I read about that driver (see the Dave Stallard link below) the more I hope she's prosecuted (isn't there a law against reckless driving?) and has to pay heavy civil damages as well.

Re: Some Details

[dave-stallard.livejournal.com]

"A thirty or forty-something white guy with a beard (?) and glasses scrambled out of the window (which was more of a more doorway because of the crash) seeming not to be at all injured and looking like he was trying to reassure people."

Probably me. I don't have a beard (I think I had shaved that day), but did have sunglasses propped up on my head (which bizarrely stayed on throughout the whole catastrophe). I scrambled out through the window almost immediately after the collision.

Dave

[chillguru.livejournal.com]

holy crap! i was there this morning, i must have just missed it. from the description it sounds like they went through one of the handicapped parking spots.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Anyone know if Rachel the barista is OK? She's awesome (and she always remembers my name!).

Video

[dskippy.livejournal.com]

ukelele,

The Porter Sq. Books (http://www.portersquarebooks.com/) website reports no employees where injured. Five customers total were injured. My girlfriend and I took a short video (http://headsoff.blogspot.com/2006/02/driving-in-book-store.html#links) of the post accident scene if you want to take a look. We got there about a half hour after it happened.

-mike

I'm fine!

[rachmutt.livejournal.com]

Although awake at 2 AM obsessively reading everything I can on the accident. I'm actually the manager and was involved with the original building of the cafe, so the experience has been rather emotional for me. I was working, but I was at the espresso machine and moved towards the back of the store thinking that people would have to evacuate through the emergency exit, so the accident hasn't traumatized me as much as it may have traumatized some people who were closer to the window.

Anyway, we are hoping to reopen next week. I'll be around the store a bunch, as will Pip, so please stop in to say hi. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness!

Re: I'm fine!

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I wondered if you might be the manager since you seem to always be there :).

Yay that you are fine! I will have to get my scone fix soon...