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A Mosses resident is in custody after driving her car into the Hayneville QV Thursday.

Tamaria Taylor, 25, was arrested Aug. 30 on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and reckless endangerment after allegedly driving her car into the central-Hayneville convenience store late Thursday evening.

Taylor was taken into custody Friday by Sheriff’s Lt. Nick Cognasi.

“We were notified Thursday evening around 7:30 p.m. that somebody had driven into the QV and had left the scene,” said Lowndes County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Nick Cognasi. “I got a call from Sheriff West. I have experience working cases of this nature and he asked for assistance.

“I picked Taylor up Friday afternoon and at that point she admitted [her guilt.] So, I arrested her for leaving the scene of an accident without injury and then reckless endangerment.”

Store workers called 9-1-1 after the white Honda Pilot Taylor was driving crashed into the QV before fleeing the scene. Harrell said Sheriff’s deputies arrived promptly and learned the store’s front door was taken out in the crash.

“The Sheriff’s Department came to our rescue,” Harrell said. “We called 9-1-1 and they came and stayed here all night long because we had to put up a temporary wall. Greenville Glass Company came and they, along with my son Stewart, got the walls put back up.”

According to Harrell, the Honda entered the front of the store, pushing one set of shelves sideways and toppling the other completely over. The vehicle struck one freezer filled with food and an ice cream chest before coming to a stop.

No injuries were reported from the incident, but store owner Harrell said two workers narrowly missed the impact.

“We are very thankful that no one was injured, and our video camera showed people had just walked through [the area] where she came into the store,” Harrell said. “Two of our employees, one had come from the back of the store and the other was going to the back. So, if they had been just 30 seconds later, [the car] would have hit them.”

Two customers, a mother and her child, were inside the store at the time of the crash. Immediately after hitting the store, Taylor allegedly backed out, hitting the mother’s car before leaving the scene.

“We still don’t know what made [Taylor drive into the store],” Harrell said. “Our camera showed her coming down Highway 21. She went down [Alabama Highway] 97, then came back in the side entrance.”

Cognasi said Taylor’s arrest resulted from a lead indicating she was a resident of a housing project in Mosses. The apartment manager assisted deputies in locating the damaged Honda and Taylor, who initially denied her involvement.

A review of surveillance footage from the Lowndes County Courthouse and the John Hulett Detention Center revealed Taylor drove the vehicle from the scene. Taylor was taken into custody around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Harrell expressed her gratitude to Lowndes County Sheriff Chris West, deputies, Greenville Glass workers and the friends and family who helped with the investigation and cleanup.

“Deputies came immediately,” Harrell said. “One of them went to chase [Taylor] because we told him which direction she went in. They stayed until after 2 a.m. while we worked on securing the building and came back to the store to look at surveillance video.

“Friends and family came to help get supplies, replace the door and cleanup after the crash. Sheriff West called to check on us Friday. We are so thankful to the Sheriff’s department and Greenville Glass as well as friends and family for their help.”