'Like a freight train': Driver fled after crashing car into Haledon Morningside florist
HALEDON — A stolen car plowed into the front of Morningside Greenhouse on Wednesday, police said, leaving a gaping hole in the facade and waking its owners, who live above the historic establishment.
But the floral shop, which its owners say is the oldest retail business in the borough, remained open — and busy — that afternoon. As crews covered the hole with plywood, the five-person staff answered calls and worked hard to fill orders.
There were two funerals that morning, and eager brides expected flawless arrangements for upcoming ceremonies.
"Business doesn't stop," said Brian Fischer, 77, the shop's second-generation owner. "If we don't keep going today, we won't be where we need to be tomorrow."
Police said they received a 911 call reporting the accident, at 554 W. Broadway, at 6:20 a.m. As officers arrived, they were told by onlookers that the driver and passenger fled the scene.
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Lt. Christopher LeMay said the car — a Ford sport utility vehicle — was stolen from Easton, Pennsylvania. He said the matter was being investigated by detectives. Meanwhile, insurance adjusters were assessing the damage to the building and its contents.
Fischer's daughter, Tara Fischer, said she heard the impact and immediately got into her own car to chase the driver and passenger when she realized that they fled. The noise, she said, was "horrific" — almost "like a freight train" rammed into the building.
And the force of the crash was so great that items in the two upstairs apartments were flung several feet, Fischer said. A vacuum cleaner, which had been leaning against a wall, was thrown to the other side of the room, he said.
The shop was built to withstand much bigger impacts, Fischer said.
It opened there in June 1946, on the cusp of the Cold War. There is a fallout shelter in the basement, said Fischer, who remembered how his father, the late Benjamin Fischer, would stash water and soda crackers there.
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The building was constructed out of 10-inch cinder blocks, filled with cement. The decorative stones that form its exterior are 4 inches thick.
Fischer said he was astonished that the driver and passenger were unhurt, able to walk away from the scene.
His daughter said she followed them to the intersection of Avenue B and Grove Street, where they escaped into the woods.
"I lost them there," she recalled. "I said, 'Stop! Where the hell are you going?! Like, stop!' "
She said she was on her cellphone with a police dispatcher, who warned her to be careful. "I know that I probably shouldn't have gotten into my truck and tried to chase someone, but I'm like a mother lion," she said. "I'm a very protective and territorial kind of person."
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Driver fled after crashing car into Morningside florist in Haledon
