Driver disappears after crashing into store with owner inside, Washington cops say

Roy Hoard was working inside the building he owns when he heard what he thought sounded like an air-conditioning unit crashing to the floor, KOMO reported.

“I thought an HVAC fell out of the ceiling,” Hoard, whose building houses a medical supply sales business in Spanaway, Washington, told the news station. “Couldn’t even fathom that it would be a vehicle in the building.”

Hoard found the car inside the building’s showroom early Tuesday morning, along with two men standing beside it, KIRO reported. He said one of the men claimed to be a passerby trying to help the driver, according to KIRO.

Both men were gone by the time police got to the scene, although the driver returned a few times to retrieve his belongings before officers arrived, the news station reported.

“It’s a little disheartening just for the fact that they didn’t stick around to, you know, be held accountable,” said Hoard, according to KIRO.

No injuries were reported, according to KING.

Pierce County sheriff’s deputies reportedly stopped the same car and cited the driver before the crash took place, according to KING. A deputy recognized the driver, who was given a speeding ticket about two hours prior, from a surveillance video showing the crash, KOMO reported.

Officers found a stolen vehicle not far from the scene “that had been rolled and abandoned” 40 minutes after the crash in Spanaway, according to KING. Police believe the incidents may be related, KING reported.

This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Driver disappears after crashing into store with owner inside, Washington cops say."