Driver escapes serious injury

By Michael Armstrong

Homer Independent Press

A car crash heavily damaged a historic Pioneer Avenue building and business Monday night, when a sport utility vehicle driven by a young Homer woman smashed through the east wall of North Wind Home Collection and a second inside wall before stopping at the store’s front counter.

“She just put her foot on the gas. It didn’t have any place to go,” said Barb Scalzi, owner of North Wind. “It looks terrible.”

Police arrested the driver, Riley Harrington, 20, and charged her with driving under the influence and third-degree criminal mischief. After she had a seizure at the Homer Jail, however, prosecutors dismissed the charges at a hearing Tuesday. Harrington’s lawyer said the cause of the crash was a medical issue. Homer Police Chief Michael Scanlon said police continue their investigation into the crash. 

Heading west on Pioneer Avenue, Harrington’s car first hit a truck, almost hit a pedestrian and knocked over a fire hydrant before crashing into the building around 8:40 p.m., Homer police said. 

Bystanders pulled Harrington out of the car. Homer Volunteer Fire Department medics took her to South Peninsula Hospital for treatment of possible injuries. 

In the initial criminal complaint, Homer Police Officer Bradley Bordner wrote that Harrington seemed confused after the accident, thinking her dog was in the car when it wasn’t, and while she could give her name, could not remember where she had driven. Bordner wrote that a friend of Harrington told him she previously has had seizures. Bornder got a search warrant to have a blood draw taken from Harrington at the hospital, but toxicology results were not yet available. At her hearing Tuesday, prosecutors said they could bring back charges later depending on test results.

“It was weird how it happened,” said Barb Scalzi, owner of North Wind. “I feel bad for the girl. … Everybody thought she was drinking and stuff, but she had a seizure.”

Harrington visited the store at the corner of Pioneer Avenue and Greatland Street to apologize, Scalzi said. 

A furnishings, clothing and gift store, North Wind has been in business for 31 years. The original building was constructed in 1954 as Uminski’s Department Store and has been added to over the years. By Wednesday, workers had removed debris and reinforced one load-bearing interior wall damaged from the collision. A tarp tacked to the wall covered the hole in the building.

In the criminal complaint, Bordner wrote that Scalzi told police she estimated the value of the building and contents to be about $2 million. The crash happened right before the start of the busy summer tourist season. Scalzi said she has been talking to insurance adjusters about what to do next. Most likely that means rebuilding, she said.

“We can’t put a Band Aid on it,” Scalzi said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we want to rebuild.”