this happened earlier today here in minneapolis, just on the outskirts of uptown:




Van demolishes building in Minneapolis
Chao Xiong, Star Tribune Staff Writer
March 14, 2005 CRASH0314


A van crashed into a hair salon at 24th St. and Hennepin Av. S. this morning, leaving a gaping hole in the storefront and causing the second floor to partly collapse.

Emergency crews responded to the Sudz Salon at 2402 Hennepin about 8 a.m. and extracted the van's driver from the wreckage. A medical condition likely caused the man to veer off Hennepin, hit a traffic light and then smash into the salon lobby, said Paul Nemes, a captain with the Minneapolis Fire Department.

The driver was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, including lacerations and cuts to his head. No one was in the salon or neighboring businesses when the accident occurred. An upstairs apartment was severely damaged, but salon employees said no one lived there.

"Oh my god," said salon manager Krysta Schrader. "I'm just worried about my employees' livelihood. It's devastating."

Dozens of passersby stopped to watch a demolition crew extract the van, its windows blown out, from the storefront. Piles of brick and rubble littered the ground while shelves of hair product stood perfectly aligned just a few feet away.

Although much of the salon's rear half remained untouched, Nemes said that most of the building is a total lost because its structural integrity was compromised; it will be demolished.

Salon employees were able to salvage a computer hard drive, appointment books and an empty cash register. Schrader said they will try to lease a temporary space as soon as possible.

Chao Xiong

funny thing is that the building didn't look the least bit flimsy when it was still intact...

Looks like my place!

Talk about a bad hair day!

If I had left my house today I woulda seen it! That's CRAZY!

prince finally got a hit?

shausler said:

How did it happen then? Stupid papers.....

Holy shit!!!!!

Ouch. Good thing it happened on a Sunday.

thesexofit said:

dude who was driving the van had some sorta medical condition (stroke, heart attack, i dunno) while behind the wheel that made 'im run off the road and crash.

Oh right. Man thats cold

Stax said:

RIGHT?

I just saw this on the news. It looks crazy! I'm gonna have to venture over thataway tomorrow to check it out

endorphin74 said:

take a camera.

well hell

Chico319 said:

althom said:

The van?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

No, what really happened was I was rollerskating down Hennepin in my cut-off daisy dukes that day, and he freaked out so bad over the hotness of it that he lost control of his vehicle and crashed.

HobbesLeCute said:

dammit, what'd i tell you about wearin them daisy dukes?

swingin on a TIT/AIRBAG.....