Paraplegic Crashes Into Fla. Stores When Car Malfunctions

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. --

A runaway car crashed into two Orange County stores Tuesday. One of them was a salon where people were getting manicures and haircuts.

Troopers say a specially-modified car malfunctioned and crashed into the Central Park Plaza on Oak Ridge Road. The car was modified, because the driver is a paraplegic.

“We thought a bomb came down or an earthquake. The sound was so enormous,” eyewitness Elizabeth Cook said.

AT THE SCENE:

Images From Crash

That was the sound of a Dodge Stratus plowing through an empty gift shop and then into Oak Ridge Hair Design on the corner of Oak Ridge and Rio Grande in Orange County

( see map )

. The crash happened just before 2:00pm.

“What was going through my head? Get the hell outta Dodge,” Cook said.

Florida Highway Patrol investigators told Eyewitness News the driver of the car is a paraplegic and a hand accelerator got stuck when he tried to brake in the parking lot. Investigators say the car was going about 30mph.

“When we got the call, we suspected there would be multiple injuries knowing what type of shopping center this is and knowing there are businesses typically filled,” said Kim Montes, FHP.

The only injuries were to the three people inside the hair salon who got a few cuts from flying glass. It did take four firefighters to get the driver, Reginald Ogden, out of the car because he was pinned inside.

Elizabeth Cook was inside the salon getting a permanent at the time.

“We heard the noise first and then we felt the impact of the car coming through the back wall there and we jumped,” she said.

The driver is going is going to be okay. Damage to the two stores is estimated to be about $20,000. The building inspector was out Tuesday afternoon making sure it is safe and managers were working to get the glass repaired on the store front.

No charges have been filed.

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