RIDGEWAY – Two patrons at a local convenience store narrowly escaped injury earlier this month when a pickup truck crashed through the front of the business, smashing brick and glass and crushing shelves of merchandise into the walk-in cooler.
The incident occurred just before 8 p.m. on May 6 when a 2012 Toyota pickup truck driven by Andrew McKinstry, 67, of Longleaf Road in Ridgeway, slammed into the AM PM Food Mart at 7210 Highway 34. The S.C. Highway Patrol said McKinstry was in the parking lot of the business, facing south, and stepped on the gas instead of the brake. The Highway Patrol said McKinstry did have a valid driver’s license and that no charges were being filed in the accident.
Victor Sharma, owner of the AM PM, told The Voice that more than $15,000 in merchandise had been destroyed in the wreck, while the store’s walk-in cooler had suffered significant damage. In all, the business suffered $60,000 in damages, Sharma said.
Repairs were scheduled to begin this week, according to Sharma. The AM PM Food Mart will be open during construction, he said.
