PHOTOS: Car ploughed through memorabilia store and into a church

A speeding driver hit an SUV carrying 3 children at a major intersection in Parker before ploughing through the front of a memorabilia retail store, out a side wall and into the front of a unit that houses a church and its thrift store.

Eyewitnesses told Parker Live that the vehicle, a white sedan, was coming through the town of Parker last Saturday night at a high rate of speed, with one report suggesting speeds in the 90 miles per hour range. Cops were reportedly in pursuit, with several patrol vehicles following.

Ashley Goodspeed, who was driving her mother-in-law’s Chevy Tahoe from Lake Havasu City to Blythe with her husband, 3 children and mother-in-law, was turning left at California Avenue when she became aware of the car headed in her direction.

“I saw this white blur coming straight towards me and then I realized what was happening,” she said.

The car approached the intersection and hit the Tahoe as it swerved onto California Avenue in a northeast direction.

“Everybody in my car is fine,” Ashley told Parker Live. “The police officers told us that he and his passenger were okay too. He was going at a very high rate of speed. There was two to three police cars that rushed past us after he hit us. Some bystanders came and checked on us to make sure that we were okay.”

Seatbelt bruising was the most significant injury reported by the passengers in the Tahoe.

The car then plunged into the small retail plaza where a retail store called ‘Gold Pan Dan’s Guns and Gold’ is located, and went through the front window of the memorabilia side of their store, out through a side wall and into the front of a second unit which has frontage in the alley, a church and its thrift store next door.

A bystander called David told us, “I saw a car come flying down the road and went like one foot in the air and lost traction coming down. It went into the two retail stores.”

The damage is extensive, with large repairs needed for both buildings and replacements of retail units and inventory on the inside. Many agencies responded and, some hours later, a tow truck pulled the car out and took it away.

The owner of Gold Pan Dan’s Guns and Gold, Kevin Shepherd, told Parker Live that he missed being hit by the vehicle by just 30 minutes, and had moved to the back of the unit. He heard what sounded like a bomb going off, he said, and when they figured out what was going on he saw one of the two vehicle occupants out walking around.

The car had left a hole in the side wall of Shepherd’s unit, had gone out the other side and landed in the worship space of the Upper Room Church, which occupies the unit next door. Photos show the car emerging into the room next to some nearby pews. Wood, flooring and ceiling have major damage.

The thrift store next door had a broken window only, and is open for business Tuesday through Friday 10am – 3pm.

In addition, a second church, the Christ Alive Apostolic Worship Center, sustained water damage.

The driver and his passenger are reportedly tribal and no information has been released by CRIT Police Department on the incident or information on any arrests made.

Guns & Gold is also open for business, and a GoFundMe page was set up by a third party to help Shepherd with associated costs.

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Photos by Juanita Learn and Lawny Reese-Caracha

More engagement on our Facebook page where we originally reported the story HERE.