DANVERS, Mass. — A routine afternoon at a Danvers hair salon turned chaotic Thursday when an SUV crashed through the front wall of the business, injuring three people and leaving customers and employees shaken.
[ Three injured after car crashes through Danvers beauty salon ]
Debbie Wright was having her hair done at Beijo Beauty Salon when she heard what she described as an explosion.
“I was shaking. It was awful. It was the worst sound I ever heard. It was like a bomb went off,” Wright said. “I sat there frozen. People were running. I didn’t know what to do.”
Wright said she watched the frightening scene unfold as the vehicle barreled into the salon.
“I saw the woman to the right of me go flying out of her chair and land on her back,” she said. “Everybody started screaming, and a car was in the building.”
According to a stylist at the salon, two customers seated near the front window were thrown to the ground by the impact.
“I had just finished a haircut,” hairstylist Rosalie Giardina said. “The two clients who went to the hospital were sitting at the station to my left by the window.”
Danvers fire officials said three people suffered minor injuries, including the driver of the SUV.
“She knocked her head on the steering wheel,” said Capt. Glen Cooney of the Danvers Fire Department. “We stabilized the scene, made sure everything was safe, and removed her from the vehicle.”
Witnesses said the salon was busy when the crash occurred. In the aftermath, shattered glass covered the floor as crews began cleaning up the extensive damage. The heavily damaged SUV was later towed from the scene.
Giardina said salon staff immediately focused on helping those who were hurt.
“We were making sure everybody was okay, and we were calling out to anybody who had access to their cell phone to call 911,” she said. “I didn’t have my cell phone on me.”
For Wright, the close call remains difficult to process.
“I’m really, really nervous. I want to cry,” she said. “My daughter’s getting married next week, and I came here to get my hair done. I’m lucky that I didn’t get hit.”
The salon is expected to remain closed while the damage is repaired. Authorities continue to investigate what caused the driver to crash into the building.
Despite the dramatic scene, officials said no one suffered life-threatening injuries.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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