LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A wine bar in the Arts District is picking up the pieces after a car plowed into their business.
The Wine Garden was closed for two weeks and it has since reopened and they are now looking at nearly $50,000 in damages.
“The driver wasn’t inebriated, so I think she just ran the light and thought she was going to make it and didn’t,” The Wine Garden employee, Merho Habtemariam shared with 8 News Now.
According to Metro police, a driver ran a red light, hit another driver who then crashed into the storefront window. The crash occurred as over the past several months many businesses in the area have either been broken into, vandalized, or in this case, run into.
“I’m grateful that there were no patrons here and I’m grateful that no one was hurt in the incident. Red light cameras would help tremendously, and I know the city of Las Vegas is looking to build big cement bollards along the sidewalk to hopefully help these kinds of incidents from happening again,” Habtemariam said.
Just a couple doors down at Barter Beer Mall, an antique shop that opened last month, owner, Derek Stonebarger has already taken steps to ensure the safety of his employees and customers.
“We plan on installing a bollard-style fence and a couple years from now, the sidewalk will be 10-feet wide with big trees to add protection just like on Main Street,” Stonebarger said.
In addition to bollards, the owner of The Wine Garden told 8 News Now that the City of Las Vegas wants to add more one-way signage along Commerce Street for drivers too.
As for red light cameras, which was a major discussion at the Nevada Legislature, Senate Bill 415 failed to get a vote out of the Senate Growth and Infrastructure Committee and is no longer being considered.
