Determined Accidental
Two Injured as SUV Crashes into West Portal Walgreens
• • • • • • • • • • December 2014 • • • • • • • • • •
The quiet of a sunny West Portal morning was disrupted at 8:34 am on Wednesday, December 11th, when an elderly woman accidentally drove her blue Subaru SUV into the storefront of Walgreens Pharmacy at 220 West Portal Avenue. The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) and Police Department (SFPD) were called and swiftly arrived on the scene; they stayed for roughly an hour to evaluate the damage. Soon after, the pharmacy was draped in plastic but open and operating at full capacity.
According to SFFD, the crash was an accident, labeling it as “unintentional” according to one (unsubstantiated) theory from an employee of the neighboring West Portal Produce Market who heard the crash and witnessed the aftermath. It was presumed that the driver accidentally stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake as she pulled into the parking spot directly in front of Walgreens. However, SFPD has yet to officially determine the cause of the accident.
The driver and one Walgreens employee suffered mild injuries; SFFD evaluated both at the scene and determined that neither required hospitalization or immediate medical attention. ”
The driver and one Walgreens employee suffered mild injuries; SFFD evaluated both at the scene and determined that neither required hospitalization or immediate medical attention. Fortunately, the collision was “not as bad as it could have been,” said an SFFD representative. There was moderate damage to the outer structure of the pharmacy; the lower wall was cracked and intruded into the pharmacy, and some broken plaster was scattered behind and in front of the checkout counter. The car also suffered modest damage but was still fully functional.
After pulling the car back out of the pharmacy front wall and evaluating the resulting damage, SFFD covered the hole with plastic sheeting in lieu of a physical structure. Luckily, there were few employees in the store at the time as it was not yet open for the day; the pharmacy opened later that morning, and by the afternoon, it was business as usual. None of the employees present later in the day had witnessed the accident and only knew about it secondhand. The driver was driven home in the same car by an acquaintance she contacted.
For some on the West Portal Corridor, this incident was evocative of the tragic accident that happened last March near the West Portal tunnel, when a driver lost control of their car, running onto the sidewalk and colliding with a family of four, three of whom died in the accident.
Thankfully, the outcome this time was far less heartbreaking. “It’s really important to pay attention when driving,” advised the SFFD representative, “for your own safety and the safety of others around you.”
The SFPD continues to investigate the incident’s circumstances and has yet to issue any new updates. This article will be updated when new information is made available.
Maura Corkery lives and works in West Portal.
December 2024
