This morning, a startling incident occurred at Hopwood Child Care in Fayette County. A car crashed through the front of the daycare center, and WTAE reported that emergency responders arrived after the crash. Fortunately, despite having 24 children and seven staff members inside at the time, there were no injuries.
The car, a gold Mercury Sable, was found by Pennsylvania State Police in the parking lot with significant front-end damage. WPXI said the vehicle slowly entered the parking lot before suddenly accelerating into the building. State police confirmed that no one was hurt, including the 81-year-old driver and their passenger.
Owner Jessica Barnhart recounted the harrowing experience to WTAE, saying that a driver dropping off a student mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake, leading to the crash. Barnhart described the sound as akin to "a big shelf fell." She realized the gravity of the situation when she saw "the look in my teacher's eyes" and saw the extent of the damage.
The children and staff were safely evacuated to another building on the campus. Normally teeming with around 60 children at that hour, only about 20 were present due to the delay. She credited the weather with being a blessing in disguise.
The preschool building was temporarily closed for cleanup and repairs immediately following the incident. However, the other facilities at Hopwood Child Care remained open. The impacted section is expected to be reopened within two to three days following the incident. Meanwhile, cleanup crews attended to the damage, working diligently to restore the daycare center.
