Justice’s car plows into store

State Supreme Court Justice Kris Pickering drove her Mercedes-Benz station wagon into the front of a UPS Store near Rancho Drive and Charleston Boulevard about 9 a.m. Monday, the store's owner said.

Justice Pickering told store owner Dane Halovich that she was pulling into a parking space in front of the store, located at 840 S. Rancho Drive, when her accelerator stuck, causing her to smash into the store. She narrowly missed a customer who had just exited.

No one was injured, he said.

"The whole front just exploded inward," Halovich said. "All the wood and glass flew in like shrapnel and everything shot right by me. Miraculously, it just missed me."

Halovich said the air bags in the car did not deploy and Pickering was able to get out with her two dogs.

"I knew who she was, and she apologized," said Halovich, who was behind a cash register when the crash occurred.

He said Pickering has been a customer at the store.

Investigators cleared the scene, and Pickering's gray 2007 Mercedes-Benz station wagon, which received minor damage, was towed from the store.

In a statement from Pickering's office, the justice said, "I am so thankful no one was physically hurt."

Las Vegas police Sgt. John Loretto said Pickering was not cited for the incident because it occurred on private property and did not involve criminal intent, such as reckless driving.

He said it's not unusual not to issue citations in situations like Monday's crash.

Bill Gang, court spokesman, said Pickering was going to a nearby shoe repair store at the time of the crash. He did not know whether her two dogs were loose inside the car or could have contributed to the crash.

Halovich said the store, located near a Smith's grocery store, will likely reopen today. He didn't know how much the repairs would cost but said the crash destroyed a brand-new copy machine.

"We turned up much better than we could have been," he said.

Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.