MEDFORD, OR– A car crashed through the front doors of Great Clips on Biddle Road in Medford just before the salon was set to open Monday morning. The incident occurred around 9:50 a.m., moments before the salon was ready to welcome customers.
Amber Garrett, an employee at the salon, was inside at the time of the crash. She described the terrifying moment, saying she was counting the till when she suddenly felt glass shatter around her, and the desk was pushed down to the floor as the vehicle entered the building. “I was opening the shop today and I saw a customer pulling into the parking spots. All of a sudden, as I look down and I’m counting the till, I feel glass covering me and the desk pushing me down to the floor because she had driven through the front of the building,” Garrett said.
The crash occurred just before the shop opened, and according to the area’s supervisor, if it had happened just 10 minutes later, the lobby could have been filled with customers. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Medford Police responded to the scene and investigated the accident. Lieutenant Geoff Kirkpatrick of the Medford Police Department confirmed that the crash was accidental, stating that there were no serious injuries and no charges would be filed against the driver at this time.
“The crash was an accident that occurred off-roadway,” said Kirkpatrick. “There were no serious injuries.”
The driver, described by the Medford Fire Department as an “alert older lady,” was not injured in the incident. Medford Firefighters worked to remove the glass and door frames from the building while the City of Medford’s Building Safety Department conducted an inspection to determine whether the damage was cosmetic or structural.
Garrett expressed her relief that no one was hurt. “Very scary start to the day. I’m just grateful that nobody was injured,” she said. “This is all recoverable.”
As the Biddle Road location undergoes repairs, Great Clips customers are encouraged to visit other nearby locations in South Medford or Central Point.
The incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of accidents, with Garrett emphasizing that despite the frightening experience, the salon will recover. “This is all recoverable,” she said.