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Car Tears Through South Austin Motor Mile Dealership

A South Austin car dealership is doing some number crunching after an errant driver crunched a number of its new cars.

Austin Police say the driver’s car flew off the frontage road of South I-35 in front of South Point Hyundai and slid across a row of parked cars.  In a matter of seconds, 18 cars were ruined with damage estimated at more than $700,000.  And even before it hit any cars, it broke a concrete pedestal and flung it across the car lot ripping into the side of a car like a cannonball.

Ironically this scene was somewhat familiar to the dealership.  

Mark Marek, their service and parts director tells us, "About a year and a half ago a vehicle came off the feeder road and went into our pre-owned section causing some damage, but not quite to this magnitude."

You might think that with such extensive damage this car dealership might have to shut down.  But actually they didn't miss a beat.  Once the police cleared the scene, in came the tow trucks and the brooms and the wrecked cars were soon replaced with new product like it never happened.

And what about the driver?  He got away.  Witnesses say they saw someone run off into a wooded area behind the dealership.  But police do have his car which should lead them to the driver.

By Fred Cantu