MAGNOLIA — A Nissan Altima’s driver crashed through the Corner Club house restaurant on the square while attempting to evade police, according to a news release from the Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
On June 28, police officers attempted a traffic stop on a maroon Nissan Altima around 12:40 a.m. near the intersection of Jefferson Davis and North Vine streets.
The Altima’s driver then traveled south on North Washington Street before entering the one-way portion of Washington near the square on the wrong side of the road. The driver attempted to make a left-hand turn but instead crashed the car through the north wall of the Corner Clubhouse, the news release says.
The vehicle slammed in to the brick and glass wall of the restaurant before coming to a stop with half of the car inside the business.
The two men inside the vehicle fled south toward Calhoun Street as the pursuing officer tried to find out if anyone was still inside the vehicle, according to the release. The officers searched the area but were unable to locate the driver.
“This is like the icing on the cake for 2020,” said Corner Clubhouse owner Alexandra Langston. Last week, she sat at the bar with dirt on her hands, still busy cleaning up from the wreck that destroyed a quarter of the front entrance.
Langston said the wreck had taken out much more than just the glass and brick at the north wall of the restaurant.
“Besides the structure damage, we lost tables, chairs and fixtures on that side. A lot of debris hit TVs and things behind the bar. It also took out our point of sale system.”
Langston said the vehicle also damaged a main support beam, with the weight of the wall creating a concern for the structural integrity of the building.
She also said she has received help from many people in the community during this tough time.
“The town has been great to us. Yesterday, every official you can imagine came by to offer their support,” said Langston, who mentioned that many members from her church came by to help, with one welding a temporary support beam to replace the one that was damaged in the crash. She also said S&S Home Center offered to open up that Sunday for Langston to get supplies to open.
Despite the issues, Langston looked toward the brighter side of things.
“It could have been a lot worse. They (the suspects) could have died, it could have been during business hours where they could have killed someone else,” said Langston.