American Speedy Printing Shop May Close From Damage Caused by Car Driven Through Store

ROCHESTER, Mich.—June 18, 2015—American Speedy Printing owner Bill Davies is considering closing his shop, a decision that does not come easy for the 30-year plus printing industry veteran who has been at the 917 N. Main Street location here for more than six years.

Late last month, Davies' business suffered significant damage when a senior citizen drove his car through the shop with a Chrysler 300, causing major damage to equipment and taking out one of the building’s walls, reported the The Oakland Press.

According to a police report of the incident, the 80-year-old Rochester Hills man visited the shop to ask for help contacting the Veterans’ Administration. When he left and returned to his vehicle, the man blacked out while trying to leave the parking lot.

“I told my designer it didn’t look like he should be driving,” Davies recalled, adding the man was honking his horn. According to the Oakland Press, when the driver crashed into the shop, he pressed the accelerator so hard that the tires of his car left burn marks on the carpet.

“As soon as he hit the building, he just floored it,” Davies explained. “The destruction was ridiculous. He just kept going.” The vehicle smashed into equipment until it eventually ended up at the rear of the store. One employee was almost hit by the car.

With roughly 40 percent of the store’s equipment damaged in the crash, Davies estimated it could cost about $200,000 to repair or replace the affected equipment. "It’s going to take a long time to recover from this one." According to the newspaper, copiers, laminators, counters, and more will need to be replaced.

The crash was the second similar incident in the city in roughly a month's time, the Press reported.