Driver, customers in store uninjured
After a car crashed directly into a 7-Eleven store located on L Street on Oct. 10, employees and surrounding stores attempted to manage and fix what was left of the front windows. Police reported that the driver seemed to be under the influence, as the suspect barely managed to perform the sobriety tests officers gave.
“Upon arrival, officers suspected the driver was impaired and placed him through field sobriety tests which he performed poorly on,” police said to the Davis Patch. “Please remember that DUI does not always mean just alcohol. Drugs (even legal ones) can impair one’s ability to drive a motor vehicle.”
The red SUV plowed through the front of the 7-Eleven, leaving behind dented beams that stabilized the entire store and shattered glass throughout the area. The store was open at the time of the accident, but no one was injured. An employee stationed behind the cash register witnessed the vehicle coming straight through the store. The following day, the 24-hour chain store had to close to clean up.
“There’s no safe amount to drink or use of a substance that impairs you prior to operating a vehicle,” said Nathan Trauernicht, the fire chief for the UC Davis Fire Department. “In fire and emergency services, we see the outcomes of DUI accidents that far too often result in traumatic injuries or death. If someone had to see first-hand the loss of a life taken too soon — or the devastated family that arrives to find out that their loved one was harmed by your choices — maybe people would think twice before getting behind the wheel. These aren’t dramatizations; they are the reality of driving while under the influence.”
Responders to the scene of the crash used it at as a time to remind those around Davis of the impacts an impaired driver can have on the community, especially when it comes to the safety of residents.
“I live off campus at The U Apartments and found this 7-Eleven as a quality, go-to place for after a long day of classes to grab a snack or for a water after practice,” said Cameron Timble, a second-year managerial economics major. “I mean, the people around this part of town do kind of seem a bit sketchy and then it is incidents like this that make me realize you really do have to be aware of your surroundings. I easily could have been in that store during this accident,considering I go to bed so late and have my late-night snack needs, making me just not want to come to this store anymore.”
Currently, the 7-Eleven has a large piece of wood covering the hole created by this car. The store hopes to be rebuilt and fully functioning as soon as possible.
The California Aggie reached out to the employees and manager of the 7-Eleven store, who declined to comment on the incident.
Written by: Lauren Tropio — city@theaggie.org
