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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Two local businesses are badly damaged after a pickup truck crashed into Merle Norman Hair Salon in Chelsea on Thursday, Nov. 2 damaging Bountiful Gifts & Apparel next door.

According to Chief Deputy Clay Hammac with the Shelby County Sherriff’s Office, it is currently believed that a single driver of a pickup truck left the roadway at a high rate of speed and crashed into Merle Norman Hair Salon after experiencing a medical emergency.

The driver has been transported for treatment at a local hospital. ALEA is conducting a traffic investigation, and no further injuries have been reported at this time.

“At least nobody got hurt,” said Chris Crosby, who owns Merle Norman Hair Salon with his wife Michelle. “We’ll start back tomorrow—gutting it, cleaning it and seeing what we (have) to do to get it rebuilt and reopened.”

According to Crosby, his wife had just left the business 20-30 minutes prior to the accident.

“She had just locked the doors and was just 20 minutes down the road,” he said. “Over here on the left side where her station was, she had somebody in the chair, they would have been killed.”

After crashing into the hair salon, the vehicle continued through a wall damaging Bountiful Gifts & Apparel next door which was set to have its grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 4.

“Thanks for all the calls and prayers,” read an official Facebook post by Bountiful Gifts & Apparel. “We are thankful for His protection and that our kiddos are safe. We will be back.”

More information will be released as it becomes available.