Parking concerns rise after SUV crashes into N. Augusta business

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – Concerns about safety and parking in downtown North Augusta are rising after an SUV crashed through a store front.

The Town Square Olive Oil and Wine are back to business after a crash on Tuesday night on Georgia Avenue.

A 34-year-old man is behind bars on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Police say there were two kids in the car with him at the time of the crash.

Trying to find a place to park on Georgia Avenue or use the crosswalk can be dicey.

Businesses say there needs to be a change on this road, especially after Tuesday night’s crash.

“Avoiding the minor situations could ultimately lead to completely avoiding the bigger situations so just doing the small stuff can help,” said Adyson Courtney and Samantha Pinkstock, Vampire Penguin employees.

North Augusta Forward is hoping to make some changes downtown. Local businesses are hoping it will help some issues that have been around for a while.

“Parking is probably the most typical part of shopping down here. I would say I’ve tried to avoid coming down here just because of parking or having to cross the street back and forth,” said Courtney and Pinkstock.

It’s already hard to find a place to park, and even harder to get to another business on the other side of the street once you do.

“I definitely think people crossing the road, obviously doesn’t happen as much as I think it should be because of how busy the road is,” the pair said.

Some even worry about being safe on the sidewalk.

“That was really scary. A car got hit right in front of us. The tail end of their truck got hit and then it just kind of followed down two doors down. Yes. So, it was definitely a lot and I do you think it’s because people can speed on that on this road,” said Courtney and Pinkstock.

As downtown continues to grow, North Augusta Forward hopes to add more parking to some of the back-alley alleyways, more greenery and bigger crosswalks, making it safer and more enjoyable to be downtown.

“I’ve honestly parked in the parking garages sometimes just to get to something down here before which is a far walk. And I think if there was another parking lot that was accessible beside the alleyway that barely anyone knows about in the first place,” said Courtney and Pinkstock.

To see more about the plans North Augusta Forward has for downtown, visit their website.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.