Emergency responders were called to Jacob’s Family Pharmacy, located in the 2700 block of Austin Avenue in Brownwood, shortly after 4 PM Wednesday regarding a vehicle that had just driven into the building. Brownwood Fire Department, Brownwood Police Department and Allegiance Ambulance responded to the accident.
The business was bustling with approximately 12 customers at the time of the crash; however, none of the customers or employees were injured.The driver of the vehicle was a customer of the pharmacy. She stated that she accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake when she pulled up to the business. The vehicle then jumped the curb and traveled through the glass windows in the center of the store, coming to a stop at the drive-through window on the right side of the building.
Owner Kerri Jacobs had just left the pharmacy to run a few errands and was only about a block away when she received the call to return because of the accident. She stated that she and her husband Tim were thankful that no one was injured.
“One customer had just walked away from the register, so you know God protected the people,” said Kerri Jacobs. “We can fix everything else. Everybody was okay.”
Jacobs explained that a woman and her daughter just came into the pharmacy and that there were approximately twelve customers inside the store. All customers in the store were either at the back section of the store or in the yogurt area, out of the path of the vehicle.
“Nobody was in the path, that was what was amazing, that’s just God’s protection,” said Jacobs.
She explained that the pharmacy will continue to service their customers as best they can while repairs are being made. “Physical damage is one thing, it’s an inconvenience but, we will get up and going as quickly as we can to where we can take care of people pretty soon. We’re going to try to get ourselves where we can get everybody their medicines, we don’t want anyone to be without their medicines,” said Jacobs as she joked that there were now two drive-thrus to service customers.
Jacobs stated that they know the driver very well and that their hearts ached for her.
“It makes it so much easier when everyone is okay. We have a great staff,” stated Jacobs. “Everyone is okay, shaken up but okay.”
Even employees who had the day off came to check on coworkers and to help clean up.
Jacobs said that there were four employees behind the counter working and another at the yogurt area of the store when the accident occurred. Even as clean up was started and witness statements were being taken by police, employees continued to finish filling prescriptions. Jacobs herself helped a customer with a yogurt order.
Emergency responders worked diligently to clean up the dangerous areas of broken glass and evaluate the damage to the structure of the building, which is expected to be repairable, according to Jacobs. In fact, a friend that is in construction was on his way to access what repairs needed to be done.
Above, owner Tim Jacobs and Brownwood Police survey the damage. Below are more photos of the accident scene.
