Co-Owner Of Barnard Schwinn Bike Shop Determined To Fulfill Orders After Shop Damaged In Oak Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's hard to believe one out of control driver could do all this damage in Oak Park. He's alive and charged with drunk driving, but this historic bike shop might be gone for good.
CBS 2's Steven Graves reported from the bike shop in Oak Park for more than a century.
Possibly the end of their location as the damage is extensive. The village says it might need to be torn down, but the owners say they will not stop being here for the community after the crash.
It came in at full speed Thursday night hitting hard and fast. Surveillance video shows an SUV plowing into an Oak Park bike shop on North Avenue - glass and brick later falling from the front.
"It's like wow, oh my god. It's like how fast was this person driving?!"
Co-owner of Barnard Schwinn Cyclery, Jeff Hajduk, is now left to deal with the mess. Appraisers and cleanup crews out Friday morning.
"Kinda Devastated. Not understanding fully the extent of what's going on here," Hajduk said.
The crash hits hard for so many - who don't see this as just any "ordinary" shop.
"It is a shrine. If you go in there, there are bikes from the sixties and seventies," said longtime customer John Delaney
More than century-old, generational business, seeing this is tough Delaney.
"It made me cry," he said.
"This is my life," Hajduk said.
And that will keep Hajduk going - hoping to rebuild. He has no hard feelings for the driver who caused this - a man Oak Park police have now charged with driving under the influence.
So, for now it's back to business. Christmas orders are piling up and just like he'd do for family, Hajduk says nothing will stop him from rolling on and delivering.
"We're determined. We're going to get you your bikes. We may have to move and not be at the location here. We might have to find something along North Avenue at least to keep the business going," Hajduk said.
CBS 2 checked back in with Oak Park. A worker said while the front is clearly damaged there's no need for the owners to take out everything and leave immediately. Giving them some time to figure out their next steps. No one was inside at the time of the accident.