Midland Automotive Shop Starts Recovery Process After S.U.V. Plows Through Building
By: Shelby Levins
Updated: January 17, 2013
MIDLAND -- A family business in Midland is picking up the pieces, after a 14-year old drove an S.U.V. through their building.
The teen crashed a 2002 Ford Expedition through the E&R Automotive building in the 300 block of North Terrell Street around 5:30 PM on January 16th.
The teen was speeding away from a another wreck he was involved in at the intersection of Lamesa Road and Kansas Avenue when he lost control of the S.U.V. and smashed through the automotive shop.
The family that runs E&R Automotive tells Big 2 that the Expedition was going at least 60 miles an hour when it hit the building.
On Thursday, the business began assessing the extensive damage to the building.
"It was devastating to see to see your family business, to see it like this," E&R Automotive shop manager Andrew Zarate told Big 2. "This is how we pay our bills, this is how we make our living. To come here and see it destroyed like this is sad."
The owner of E&R Automotive -- Andrew Zarate's father -- was taken to Midland Memorial Hospital with cuts on his face and bruised ribs after the crash.
However, the man is expected to be OK.
Midland Police say that the 14 year old driver of the Ford Expedition was arrested after the crash.
The teen -- whose name has not been released because of his age -- is charged with leaving the scene of an accident (for the Lamesa Road crash) and aggravated assault (for the crash into the building).
Two adults who were in the Ford Expedition with the teen refused medical treatment at the scene. Police declined to arrest those adults because they weren't the teen's guardians.
The teen crashed a 2002 Ford Expedition through the E&R Automotive building in the 300 block of North Terrell Street around 5:30 PM on January 16th.
The teen was speeding away from a another wreck he was involved in at the intersection of Lamesa Road and Kansas Avenue when he lost control of the S.U.V. and smashed through the automotive shop.
The family that runs E&R Automotive tells Big 2 that the Expedition was going at least 60 miles an hour when it hit the building.
On Thursday, the business began assessing the extensive damage to the building.
"It was devastating to see to see your family business, to see it like this," E&R Automotive shop manager Andrew Zarate told Big 2. "This is how we pay our bills, this is how we make our living. To come here and see it destroyed like this is sad."
The owner of E&R Automotive -- Andrew Zarate's father -- was taken to Midland Memorial Hospital with cuts on his face and bruised ribs after the crash.
However, the man is expected to be OK.
Midland Police say that the 14 year old driver of the Ford Expedition was arrested after the crash.
The teen -- whose name has not been released because of his age -- is charged with leaving the scene of an accident (for the Lamesa Road crash) and aggravated assault (for the crash into the building).
Two adults who were in the Ford Expedition with the teen refused medical treatment at the scene. Police declined to arrest those adults because they weren't the teen's guardians.
