Long Beach antique store owner calls for changes after storefront once again damaged in crash
For the third time in the last eight months, a car has crashed into the Magnolia and Willow Antique Shop in Long Beach, leading owners to demand changes for the safety of their shop and their patrons.
Emily Yep, who has owned the store for 14 years now, says that the latest crash happened early Thursday morning when a driver ran a red light, hit another car and slammed into the front window of her shop on W. Willow Street.
"It's been very complicated," she said. "It's been very, very stressful."
Photos of the aftermath show the car that took out a utility box before hitting the glass window of the antique shop, shattering some of the glass items inside as well.
Even so, Yep is more concerned about the potential danger posed to her customers than the continued damage being dealt to her business, which she estimates is between $60,000 and $100,000 in the hole because of three incidents.
"It's not as frustrating as it is terrifying, because I cannot handle the stress of seeing someone injured in this intersection," she said.
Back in Sept. 2023, after the store was crashed into twice, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson visited Yep to pledge that changes would be made in order to ensure safety at the intersection.
But since then, she feels like still not enough has been done to protect her and her customers.
"There's a lot of people I love that walk through these doors and by this store," she said. "I can't imagine that they city continues to allow it to be like this."
On Monday, Long Beach Director of Public Works Eric Lopez was outside of the store to show KCAL News the changes that have been made so far, which included water-filled K-rails, concrete barriers, slowing the speed limit in the area by five miles per hour and lengthening the amount of time that a red light is shown at the intersection.
Even with these changes, Thursday's crash still happened and Lopez says that it falls on drivers being more aware of their surroundings when behind the wheel.
"The biggest thing that could have prevented this incident was the driver," he said. "Being more aware. Being aware of the traffic signals."
Yep says that she was also promised that a turn signal that adds three lights would also be installed, and Lopez says they plan to have them by the end of the year.
In the meantime, she plans to keep her business open and hopes to fight for changes that will eventually ensure safety while inside of her store.
"I want our neighborhood where I have my home, where I have my business, to be as safe as city hall should be."
