Smyrna, TN business is desperate to reopen after a building was hit by a car

SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN) – The owners of a popular Smyrna business are glad four employees were just feet away from being hit by a car that crashed into their building Tuesday afternoon.

“We were talking about Thanksgiving when all of a sudden we heard a big bang,” said Karin Dyer, owner of Karin’s Kustard and Hamburgers. “And then we ducked, and then they moved, and then the car was right there.”

Skid marks showed the force behind a vehicle that veered off Lowry Road and into the business that Dyer and her husband have built over the past 20 years.

“If (the driver) had hit one of the vehicles that were parked or in the thoroughfare, that would have turned her car differently and she would have hit the gas line right in front of the building,” Dyer said. “And then it would have blown us all away, so I’m very grateful.”

Smyrna police are still investigating the accident, but the owners told News 2 the driver may have fallen asleep. They added that she and a small child in the back seat escaped unharmed.

As they work with insurance companies and contractors to reopen, Dyer wants to stay focused on what matters most.

“Just send prayers our way,” Dyer said. “Some people have asked for a GoFundMe account, but I want everyone to take care of their own families.”

Dyer and her husband plan to reopen before the end of the year and hopefully within a few weeks. If you ask Dyer why she’s in a hurry to return the Smyrna staple, she’ll tell you about a passion project she brought with her from Illinois two decades ago and the customers she’s eager to return to.

“I’m still upset. We are very well known in the community and the community is very supportive of us,” Dyer said. “I am very grateful and appreciative of what I do for the community and what they do for us.”

Before the crash, Karin’s Kustard had just received a delivery of food that they wanted to donate.