SUV Crashes Into Hamden Dry Cleaner

A worker at a Hamden dry cleaners is lucky to be okay after an SUV crashed into the store.

It happened at 5:11 p.m. on Thursday at the Dry Cleaning Plaza on Dixwell Avenue.

In the parking lot in front of the store, an SUV jumped the sidewalk and smashed into the business.

Moments before the crash, Theresa Shine had helped a customer and had just sat down on her break.

"I looked up from my phone and there was a car coming at me and I just ran. I didn’t know what to do. I thought I was going to die," Shine said.

Shine bolted for the back of the store fearing the worst.

"I was surprised it stopped that short though. I thought it was going to take the whole counter out," said Shine.

Shine then quickly called 911.

She reports there were four young women and men in the SUV.

Shine says the driver reported accidentally hitting the gas instead of the brake.

Thankfully a seamstress who works up by the window left a few hours earlier.

“Who knows what would have happened?” says Shine.

Amazingly the store stayed opened including for a bridal party with a wedding on Friday.

We reached out to police for more information but have not yet heard back.

But it appears at least no one was hurt.

Contact Us