Shattered windows and destroyed displays greeted a Tallahassee business owner Saturday, after an emergency call alerted her that something was wrong at her property.
Lorinne Myatt opened Native Spirit Gem and Jewelry in August 2023, and she never imagined a hit-and-run crash would bring business to a screeching halt at her store nine months later.
According to the Tallahassee Police Department, the crash happened around 11:40 p.m. Saturday night. Three people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries as a result of the crash.
In an interview with WCTV, Myatt described a red sedan she said hit a white car, which ultimately smashed into her storefront. Myatt said the driver of the red vehicle took off immediately afterward. She said the crash took out the entire front window, including the frame, and “all of our display and merchandise on the other side of the glass.”
Cleaning up is just the beginning. Myatt wants answers, and ultimately justice, for the situation that unfolded at her doorstep.
Myatt said she’s now on the hook for a $1,000 deductible with her insurance. While she works through the repairs, she acknowledged her business was at least able to weather the storm after a trio of tornadoes hit the capital city on May 10.
“We really thought we had dodged that bullet,” Myatt said.
TPD is still working to locate one of the drivers involved in the crash. Myatt said a family was in the car that was hit.
“My real concern was with the family that was in the car that was the main victim of the hit-and-run because we’re just property,” Myatt said. “The police officer assured me that they were okay.”
Myatt said she is waiting for estimates to determine how much it will cost to fix the damage at her store. In the meantime, she has started contacting vendors to get more inventory. She said she is grateful for the community’s support.
“Small businesses live or die one day to the next and so the kind of support we’re getting and need everyday has been really valuable and cherished,” Myatt said.
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Source: wctv
