Two buildings hit by vehicles Monday

The Farmington mishap occurred at about 10:30 a.m. at Wash and Dry, 101 Walker Dr., next to the license office and across the road from a collision center. The Desloge accident happened in front of Cricket, 405 N. State St., Suites D & E.

Farmington Police Officer Byron Ratliff said, according to the report, a 67-year-old woman was attempting to back out of a parking spot in front of the self-service and drop-off laundromat when she inadvertently threw the car into drive rather than reverse, jumped the curb and hit the door, shattering the glass and wrinkling the doorjamb.

A spokesperson for Liberty Plaza, the strip mall where Wash and Dry is located, said the woman appeared a bit confused but uninjured, and she proceeded to do her laundry. The police report indicates minor damage was done to the car.

On the north end of St. Francois County, at about 7 p.m., Desloge Police Chief James “Jebo” Bullock passed along a report about a 2004 Chevy Silverado pickup truck driven by a 30-year-old man from Leadington who was traveling east on N. Desloge Dr., after making a left on Embry Drive as though he was turning into the Walmart Supercenter parking lot. As the road turns right in front of the Murphy USA gas station, the truck accelerated, jumped the curb and slammed into the rock-faced column on the corner of the strip mall where Cricket is located.

Bullock said the accident appeared to have been caused by the man either falling asleep or passing out at the wheel. He indicated that the truck was significantly damaged. An employee of Cricket said the truck hit another vehicle, which was also damaged extensively. Bullock indicated that the driver was helped from the wreckage and was only slightly injured.