Car crashes into Monroe Dollar Tree

Customers got quite a scare while shopping at the Monroe Dollar Tree (19947 U.S. 2) on Saturday morning, when a car crashed through the front entrance of the store.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:52 a.m. on Saturday, June 20. Minor injuries were sustained by a grandmother and her two grandchildren, who were entering the store at the time of the incident. The grandmother, a 61-year-old Snohomish woman, was transported to EvergreenHealth Monroe with her 10-year-old grandson to receive medical care. Her 11-year-old granddaughter sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

The driver, a 61-year-old Monroe woman, was attempting to park in front of the store when she lost control of the vehicle, driving onto the sidewalk and crashing through the front entrance of the store.

According to a press release from the Monroe Police Department, the driver said she had been experiencing medical issues at the time of the collision. She was transported to EvergreenHealth Monroe for care. -á -á

Monroe resident Larry Burnell was in the store with his wife when the collision occurred.

"My wife and I were in the store and we heard a tremendous crash out front,GÇ¥ Burnell said. "It was pretty chaotic there for a little bit.GÇ¥

Burnell explained that initially, the grandmother had difficulty locating her 10-year-old grandson. Customers and bystanders immediately began checking under the vehicle, worried that the boy had gotten trapped underneath. He was eventually located on the other side of the car underneath some merchandise that was displaced in the crash.

Burnell reported that the boy had a cut on his leg and seemed a bit dazed.

"Everyone was pretty traumatized there because it was a big bang when it hit,GÇ¥ Burnell said. "I thought it was an earthquake or something. It just caved in the whole front and she got about eight or nine feet into the store ' all the way up to the cashier's counter.GÇ¥

As they waited for first responders to arrive, Burnell and others held up the Dollar Tree store's front door, which had become dislodged in the collision. They were worried that the door would crash to the ground, causing further injuries.-á -á

"It could have been even worse,GÇ¥ Burnell said. "It happened so fast and no one had time to get out of the way.GÇ¥