Car crashes into homeless shelter

A 2003 Hyundai Elantra slammed into the front of a Carson City homeless shelter on Thursday, sending one woman to Carson-Tahoe Hospital complaining of neck pain and leaving several others visibly shaken.

Janet Larson, 52, of Carson City drove her rental car into a large front window of the Jubilee Center, 301 Hot Springs Road, sending glass flying into a television room with couches at the center.

A man on a bike moved out of the way of the oncoming vehicle at the last minute, but his bike wasn't as fortunate.

Carmen Helton, 49, said after the accident, "She looked like she was mad."

Sheriff's deputy Ray Guzman said the car drove across a parking lot divider before ramming through the front window of the shelter.

"The accident itself happened shortly before 1:13 p.m." Guzman said. "She drove over the island and continued until hitting the building."

Howard Barrett, 75, a volunteer at the center said people were eating when the car smashed into their refuge.

"There was loud noise and people were startled," Barrett said. "No one was hurt."

Richard Horn, 40, had helped the woman pack a U-Haul earlier, before seeing her again at the center where he volunteers.

"I helped her move to New Mexico, and then I came here," Horn said. "Then blam, what the ...?"

Horn then went to see if the driver was alright.

"I checked to see if she was cognitive, and she had changed her clothes so I didn't recognize her at first, but then I realized it was her and I said I just got done working for you, miss."

Jason Proskey, 29, watched from the other side of the divider.

"She went to park and it looked like she hit the gas and then she went over the divider," Proskey said. "And this guy (Helton) jumped out of the way and she hit his bike."