Yogurt shop in shambles, courtesy of teen driver

NEWCASTLE, Wash. — Owners of a Newcastle yogurt shop will be making major repairs not long after their grand opening after a teenage boy behind the wheel of a van rammed through the building Monday afternoon.

Employees were behind the counter of Zoe Yogurt at 3:30 p.m. when a minivan came crashing through the store.

“I saw it like a split second – it was like slow motion – the car coming in and glass – I turned and ran and screamed,” said employee Alexis Herman.

“I heard a really loud boom and I took off,” said witness Melisa Wilton.

After the crash, two girls who were in the shop were screaming and crying in fear, but were not hurt.

The people in the van, a 15-year-old driver with his learner’s permit and his mother, were humiliated, but OK.

Though the shop’s front was destroyed and the business is in shambles, the owners showed compassion.

“They were horrified, of course.  They felt awful,” said shop co-owner Donna Hudson.

The boy was parking the van when he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and rammed through the building.

"I think he was mortified, but he helped clean up glass," said co-owner Tom Hudson.

Donna Hudson said she realized the boy and his mother were regular customers of the shop.

“I gave her a hug. I felt bad for her – as any mom would if their 15-year-old just drove through the front of a local business,” said Donna Hudson.

After the crashed van was towed away, people came to see the mess.

“I have a student driver at home. I’m going to show him a picture of what not to do,” said mother Colleen Cordova.

The yogurt shop’s grand opening was five months ago.  The second opening will have to wait until repairs are completed.

KIRO