Car Nearly Runs into Murrieta Salon

A vehicle being driven by an elderly woman nearly ran into a Murrieta salon today.

The accident occurred just after 11 a.m. in front of on Washington Avenue in Historic Downtown Murrieta.

The woman, in her 70s, was driving a white 1997 Lincoln Towncar. She was pulling into a parking space to get her hair done when her "foot slipped off the brake and hit the gas." The woman did not want to be named.

She drove forward, hitting a beam that holds up a wooden awning at the shopping center. The car bounced back off the curb after the impact.

The salon and other surrounding businesses in the center were evacuated, for fear the roof was going to cave in. The Murrieta Fire Department was on hand to put support in place to hold up the awning that stretches around the shopping center.

"Generally when a car hits a building, we are going to error on the side of caution," said Murrieta Fire Chief Matt Shobert about the resulting evacuation.

He said the Fire Department will typically check for gas leaks and reinforce the building before allowing people back in.

Murrieta Police were also investigating the accident. There were no injuries.