A vehicle veered off the road and smashed into the front entrance of a Home Hardware store in Saskatoon early Friday morning. The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. CST on Central Avenue in the Sutherland neighborhood. Upon arrival, the Saskatoon Fire Department found the car inside the store where the front tills were once located. They checked for any running engines or fluid leaks.
Although no individuals were found inside the vehicle, security cameras captured the perpetrators fleeing the scene. Saskatoon Police reported that three individuals fled the crash site and have not been apprehended, with the hit and run unit now investigating the incident.
Store owner Wyatt Zacharias received a call from the police and arrived at the scene around 3:30 a.m. CST to find significant damage to the store’s entrance. Zacharias expressed gratitude that the incident occurred after hours when the store was closed, preventing potential harm to customers or employees.
Zacharias mentioned that everyone involved, including the driver and passenger, appeared unharmed based on surveillance footage. He emphasized the importance of people’s safety over material damage and commended the swift response of emergency crews.
The security footage indicated possible intoxication, as the individuals returned to the car to retrieve beer after leaving the building, leaving beer cans scattered inside. Despite the chaos, Zacharias mobilized his construction team, managing to reopen the store by 8 a.m. with makeshift solutions in place.
While temporary fixes were implemented quickly, Zacharias estimated that permanent repairs would take at least two months and cost between $30,000 and $40,000. He expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community, including neighboring businesses offering assistance and gestures of goodwill, reinforcing the strong bonds within the local community.