A couple injured when a BMW crashed into a Jacksonville hair salon are recovering while awaiting more information about what caused the vehicle to enter the business. As of Sunday, the driver’s explanation had not been independently established, and the couple said they were still waiting for a police report, according to St. Johns Citizen.
What happened inside the salon
The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Zinke Hair Studio in Jacksonville’s St. Johns Town Center. St. Augustine residents Aubrie Simpson-Gotham and Steven Gotham were preparing to leave when the black BMW came through the front windows and struck them. Salon co-owner Bert Robertson said the car traveled about 30 feet into the business before stopping, the St. Johns Citizen reported.
Steven Gotham was trapped against the reception desk, with the vehicle pressing into his chest and ribs. His wife said she had been sitting in a salon chair minutes earlier that was in the BMW’s path. Both were taken by ambulance to HCA Florida Memorial Hospital. Simpson-Gotham had cuts, scrapes and a head wound; scans showed no internal injuries. Gotham was diagnosed with a chest contusion and bruising that restricted his movement. They were treated and released that night, according to the outlet.
The cause has not been established
Simpson-Gotham told the outlet that the driver, who reportedly works at a neighboring business, said something had gone wrong with the car. That account does not determine why the BMW entered the salon. The salon’s co-owners, Bert and Megan Robertson, said they were also waiting for the police report.
Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says traffic crash reports may take up to 10 days to become available. That is the agency’s general timeframe, not a confirmed release date for this report. Once available, reports can be accessed through the FLHSMV crash-report information page and its online purchasing system.
The couple returned home to St. Augustine after treatment and were still sore on Sunday. Simpson-Gotham is the founder and CEO of Fostering Connections, a nonprofit supporting foster families; her husband teaches in Duval County schools, the St. Johns Citizen reported. The available account leaves the central question—what caused the car to crash through the salon’s windows—unanswered.
