The New Year began with a bang as a car crashed through the back entrance of the dry cleaner at 175 Middle Neck Rd. on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 5:14 p.m., according to Vigilant Fire Company and the Nassau County Police Department.
“We received the alarm at 5:15 p.m., initially reported as a car into a building at 181 Middle Neck Rd.,” said Vigilant Chief Josh Charry. “The first to respond was Second Assistant Chief Scott MacDonald, arriving on the scene at 5:21 p.m., followed shortly thereafter by Heavy Rescue 834, Ambulance 831 and Engine 8314. Nassau Police Ambulance 2356 responded as well.”
At the scene, responders saw that an automobile drove through the huge store window and was actually inside the building.
“Upon arrival Chief MacDonald found a car through the rear (parking lot side) storefront of the dry cleaner, with the driver still in the car and one person partially under the car,” Charry continued. “The person under the car was quickly extricated, treated and transported by 2356 to North Shore Hospital ER [emergency room]. The driver of the car had to be extricated with the use of our hydraulic extrication tools and was then treated and transported to North Shore Hospital ED [emergency department] by ambulance 831. Nassau Police remained on scene and the Town of North Hempstead Building Department was requested and responded to check the building for structural integrity. All Vigilant units were back in service by 6:48 p.m.”
Nassau County Police Department treated the incident as an ordinary auto accident and was unable to provide any additional information.
The building’s address is listed as Sowa Dry Cleaners. At press time, the business’s phone number was no longer in service and the website page was unavailable.
This was not the first time an accident occurred in that lot.
“About a year ago, there was a fatal pedestrian-struck accident in that parking lot,” added Charry. “There have also been a lot of less serious collisions in that lot over the years.”
