Driver crashes through gas station store, ditches SUV and runs away

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - An SUV crashed into a Warren gas station and left an employee inside feeling lucky to be alive.

"The car hit him - 100 percent - but the way he went back when he jumped, if he didn’t jump out of the way then he would’ve been under the car or in the coolers man," said Savio Sammoe.

It happened at 1:45 a.m.Saturday at the Shell gas station at 13 Mile and Dequindre. The owner’s son had just left the station when he got a frantic phone call from that employee which brought him right back.

"Obviously he was pretty scared. you don’t really come to work expecting something like this to happen," he said.

It is unclear what caused the driver to crash.

"The way he pulled off when he put the car in drive, it seemed normal," Sammoe said. "He just accelerated out of nowhere and just ran into the store."

Whatever caused the crash - the driver didn't seem ready to hang around very long afterward.

"He tried backing up to get the car out, but he couldn’t," Sammoe said. "And he ended up just getting out and took off."

He left behind his vehicle and an employee with a cut on his leg - and one giant mess.

"I’m not looking to do anything to the guy. That is why you get insurance for stuff like this," he said.

Warren police say they are aware of the suspect and are waiting on a warrant. In the meantime they are urging the suspect to turn himself in so they don’t have to knock on his door.

Sammoe heard that a car drove into the store - but seeing it playback over security video is entirely different.

"I didn’t know where to start. I knew I had to take inventory, damage everywhere," he said. "I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad."

Merchandise was left scattered everywhere. The coolers on the back wall were damaged as well, and will now need to replaced. All of which will take time - so the store will be closed temporarily.