By BEN KLEINE

Staff writer

“It’s one of those things, you can’t believe it’s going to happen but it did,” Marion Ogden said.

Ogden was standing inside his antique store, Saturday following the Old Settlers’ Day parade, when he saw Wesley Regier, 90, 506 W. Grand, Hillsboro, back his white Chevrolet Impala from a parking place in front of Duckwalls, across Main Street into his store.

Crowds of people had recently cleared from the sidewalk in front of Bearly Makin’-It Antiques and naarrowly avoided serious injury or death.

The Impala shot from its space and hit and spun a white Ford Ranger before driving across the street jumping the curb in front of the antique store, and then slamming into the post next to the window of the store.

The car caused damage to the outside wall and post, and bricks fell loose from the structure. The window shattered and fell straight down.

Connie Hearne, 65, , Fall River, was standing outside and dived to avoid the car. She was taken to St. Luke Hospital, as was Regier. Marion Police Officer Clinton Jeffrey spoke with Regier at the hospital and said both patients escaped with only scrapes and bruises.

Marion Police Chief Josh Whitwell was at the scene and estimated that the Impala was traveling between 30 and 35 mph when it hit the Ford Ranger.

Jeffrey said Regier stepped on the gas pedal, mistaking it for the brake, causing him to speed across Main Street.

Whitwell said he spoke with one witness who said they heard the Impala’s engine rev loudly before it sped into traffic.

“It’s an accident before we know what caused it,” Whitwell said. “It could be improper backing or failure to yield right of way. It could be a vehicle malfunction.”

Ogden yelled for his granddaughter, who was inside the building, to move further into the store, away from the oncoming vehicle.

He said he is going to talk with Regier’s insurance and his own to get an estimate on the damage, although he was unsure of when that would be.

“I’m glad no one is seriously injured or even dead,” Whitwell said.