A car plowed into The Babe Cave hair salon on Point Lookout Road in Mechanicsville, Maryland, Wednesday night, caving in part of the ceiling and knocking out power as live utility lines came down at the scene. No injuries were reported, but the salon has been forced to close while it deals with the damage.
The crash happened in the 29000 block of Point Lookout Road at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to FOX 5 DC. The station reports the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office cited 38-year-old Renay Harrison, of Piney Point, for driving under the influence of alcohol after she failed to control the car's speed on the highway and avoid a collision. Harrison was released to receive medical care, per the same report.
Local outlets place the timing slightly differently: The BayNet reported the incident around 10:40 p.m. at 29915 Point Lookout Road, while Southern Maryland News Net put it at approximately 10:44 p.m., describing a single vehicle leaving the roadway with live utility lines down alongside the vehicle at the salon's entrance. Police, firefighters and emergency medical crews were dispatched to the scene, according to the outlet's fire and rescue archives.
Ceiling Caved In, Cameras Rolling
Salon surveillance cameras captured the moment of impact, according to FOX 5 DC, and the ceiling caved in from the force of the crash. The BayNet's fundraiser reporting notes the crash caused extensive damage to both the inside and outside of the salon. SMECO was called in after power lines were damaged, and a county building inspector also responded to assess the structure.
EMS evaluated Harrison at the scene, and the crash remains under investigation, The BayNet reports. The Babe Cave has operated at its current location since 2022 and has been in business for nearly two decades, according to FOX 5 DC.
Owners Say They Asked for a Guardrail
Salon owner Laura Ianiero told FOX 5 DC she had been in discussions with the Maryland State Highway Administration throughout 2025 requesting a guardrail for the stretch of road, and said the request took about a year to get approved. She said a barrier could have prevented the devastation, but the guardrail — now scheduled for approval in 2027 — was not put in place in time to stop Wednesday's crash. Co-owner Sabrina Torres echoed that a guardrail or other barrier on the turn would help, and FOX 5 DC reports a similar incident occurred at the location in 2025.
Maryland's State Highway Administration has separately announced funding tied to a safety and improvement project for MD 5, also known as Point Lookout Road, in St. Mary's County, according to a Maryland Department of Transportation announcement. A public comment submitted to St. Mary's County Government noted numerous accidents at Point Lookout Road and Morganza Turner, where a flashing light already exists. Southern Maryland News Net also logged a separate crash near Point Lookout Road and Birch Manor Drive in Mechanicsville on Sept. 9.
Community Rallies to Help Salon Reopen
A GoFundMe titled “Let's Help These Babes Get Back Behind Their Chairs” was launched the day after the crash to help salon operators Laura, Angela, Sabrina and Katie cover expenses and lost income while The Babe Cave is closed, The BayNet reports. Proceeds are meant to help the salon reopen and get its staff back to work, according to FOX 5 DC.
Crashes into roadside businesses have made headlines elsewhere in Maryland before; FOX45 News Baltimore reported on a fatal 2020 crash into the Parkville Crabs restaurant, along with another vehicle crash into a nearby Royal Farms sign. For now, The Babe Cave's owners are focused on rebuilding, with the fundraiser and the investigation both still underway.
