‘It was unbelievable’: Car crashes into Okotoks business leaving major mess, no injuries

Security footage captured the moment when a vehicle crashed through a storefront in Okotoks, Alta. The shop owners are grateful no one was injured.

The owners of an Okotoks business say they are grateful and super lucky after a car came crashing through the front window, narrowly missing everyone inside.

“The window just grazed me, I swear I had my guardian angels with me that day,” said Sheilah Schutte, co-owner of Phonephix.

Security cameras set up at Phonephix show three different angles of the moment when a vehicle rammed through the front window causing a loud bang and sending Schutte running and screaming to the back of the store.

“It could have been a lot worse,” she added.

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The footage shows the two owners and one staff member sitting in the Phonephix storefront on April 29 at about 1:30 p.m.

Sheilah was sitting much closer to the window in the path of the car, but wheeled her seat away just before the vehicle hit the building.

Seconds later, front of the business caves inward and the three people inside realized a small Ford SUV had driven into the store.

The side metal frame around one edge of the window brushed the back of Sheilah’s head.

The footage also shows a customer exiting the store and turning in the opposite direction of the car just prior to impact.

“It was unbelievable,” said Bryce Schutte before adding, “just a couple bruises and scratches.”

He said he initially thought it was a smash-and-grab, but once the dust and debris settled he said the driver of the car appeared to be startled.

“It turned out to be just a simple mistake,” he said.

Alberta RCMP tell CTV News the investigation is ongoing, but preliminary information indicates “the driver had a medical episode while driving which caused the collision.”

Bryce said he and his wife struggled to watch the security footage at first, but now they are trying to laugh it off.

As the shop focusses on devices like smartphones and laptops, he estimates some of the damage could be about $50,000 and the property manager and insurance are looking into the extent of the damage.

The Schuttes hope to clean up the damage enough to reopen business as soon as possible, which could be a matter of days.

“There are so many ways this could have gone so much worse so we are just very grateful that we are all healthy and happy still,” Bryce said.