SUV smashes front door at convenience store; cause unknown

 

A small sport utility vehicle was captured on tape smashing the front door of a convenience store in west Oak Ridge early Saturday, but it’s not clear why, a business representative said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department received a call about the damaged door at K&J Market at about 2 a.m. Saturday.

Tony Jarrett, who is helping out at the relatively new store on Oak Ridge Turnpike, said the SUV appeared to have been parked in front of the door for about three minutes, facing toward it.

The truck backed up a bit and rammed the double doors, Jarrett said.

“It didn’t break on the first hit,” he said, and the SUV bounced back a bit.

Then, the driver backed up further and tried again, Jarrett said.

“Then, he hit it, and that’s when it all caved in,” Jarrett said.

He said it’s not clear what the driver might have been after, if anything, but there was an automated teller machine visible inside.

Jarrett said the driver apparently fled after the loud alarm went off. The driver didn’t take anything, and he or she was reportedly gone when the ORPD arrived.

Workers, including the business owner and property owner, were cleaning up the damage on Saturday morning.

There was also a report of a damaged door at Paula’s Market gas station and convenience store on Oak Ridge Turnpike in east Oak Ridge, although it wasn’t immediately clear Saturday morning how that door was damaged or if the two incidents are related.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

 

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.