A vehicle crashed into Oriental Rug Care in Oakland Park early Sunday morning, destroying the business entrance and threatening the future of the 40-year-old establishment. The collision occurred just before 7 a.m. at 3027 NW 12th Terrace, sending debris flying and causing structural damage that has left owner Hassan Ashwas uncertain about his ability to continue operations. Surveillance video captured the SUV slamming into the building, while separate footage from inside showed the impact’s force knocking over a refrigerator in the break room.
“We looked at our video camera from the house and it showed an accident and cops,” said Ashwas, who received a call from police early Sunday morning. The business owner described being stunned by what the surveillance footage revealed when authorities showed him the crash. Video obtained by news outlets shows smoke coming from the vehicle after the collision, with someone exiting the passenger side before pulling out what appears to be the driver. “We turn on the camera and see the mess outside,” he said. “I guess somebody crashed into here.”
“Now we gotta deal with the building, we don’t know if it’s gonna be operating business anymore because two of our entrances are gone,” Ashwas said. The crash destroyed the front entrance and damaged the garage door so severely that it cannot be opened. “Our front entrance is right here. It’s destroyed. The window here. And our garage door is bent. We can’t even open it,” said Ashwas. “There’s a little bit of structural damage,” he added, though the area where rug cleaning operations take place remained unaffected.
Oriental Rug Care has operated in Oakland Park for four decades, providing cleaning and repair services for customers and wholesalers. “We wash it here, we put it outside to dry in the sun and we hang it,” said Ashwas, describing the business operations. The company employs six people, all of whom now face uncertainty about their employment future. “One little mistake puts six people that work here in jeopardy,” Ashwas said. “Thank God it happened at night and not during the business day.”
“The frustrating thing is the guy’s insurance,” Ashwas said. “We can’t even find out where it is. There’s no name, no phone number.” The lack of insurance information has complicated the business owner’s efforts to recover damages and repair costs. Oakland Park Fire Rescue and the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, with video showing the driver walking out of the car apparently uninjured. Inside the business, the collision’s impact reached the break room, scattering items across the floor and knocking over equipment.
Despite the extensive damage, Ashwas worked throughout Sunday afternoon to secure the building and board up the damaged front entrance. The business owner says Oriental Rug Care remains open for operations, though the structural damage to both entrances poses ongoing challenges. A police investigation into the cause of the crash remains open, with authorities continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the early morning collision that has put the longtime Oakland Park business at risk.