Elderly Woman Crashes Into Newport Creamery In Barrington

BARRINGTON, RI — The Newport Creamery on County Road is closed until further notice after a woman accidentally drove into the building Wednesday morning. Barrington Police say the 82-year-old woman was backing out of a handicapped parking spot in front of the building when she shifted into drive and drove into the wall.

The crash happened just before 11 a.m. and police say there were no injuries.

"This happens sometimes, drivers will accidentally hit the gas when they're going for the brake or think they're in a different gear and drive forward when they want to reverse, but that's not necessarily the case here," Chief Dino DeCrescenzo said.

The woman told police that she was backing out of the spot and thought she had enough room to safely drive out, so she hit the brake and shifted into drive. She said she didn't remember what happened next. Police did not issue the woman any traffic citations and the exact circumstances of the crash are still being investigated.

DeCrescenzo added that there were safety concerns from the building inspector, because the wall that was hit is load-bearing and has a large window. The restaurant will remain closed until repairs are made and the building has passed a safety inspection.