by Jerreck McWilliams/ Staff writer

and

Lornna Bates/ Managing editor

Dandy Donuts, located at 111 N. Eighth Ave., was recently damaged in an accident involving a vehicle malfunction of a Ford Ranger.

News reports by KTEN described that just after 8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, 18-year-old Rocco Brittingham was leaving the donut shop when he said his vehicle made a strange noise as he put it in reverse.

The truck then rapidly accelerated backwards, running up an embankment and into the front of Dandy Donuts.

Ann Thompson, who owns and operates Dandy Donuts with her husband Roger, said that she was standing at the counter when the truck came through the front of the business.

“I had just turned on the microwave, and when I turned around there was a truck there,” she said.

She said the truck broke through the front wall and backed all the way to the back wall, crashing through the display cases and taking Roger Thompson with it.

Roger Thompson said he was sitting just inside the entrance door to the establishment, one of five people present at the time of the accident, according to a KXII news report.

KTEN reported that there were several people with minor injuries.

Among the injured was 63-year-old William Boone, friend of the Thompsons and recent recipient of open-heart surgery, who was sitting at the same table as Roger Thompson, directly in the path of the vehicle, said Roger Thompson.

He said that immediately after the accident, when the two confused patrons and Ann were trying to assess damages and injuries, Boone was not immediately located.

According to KTEN, Boone received the most serious injuries, including several lacerations to his arms.

He was quickly discovered underneath a semi-coherent Roger Thompson, said Ann Thompson.

Boone was flown to the Medical Center of Plano for treatment, according to KTEN.

The Thompsons said that special concern was given to Boone’s anticoagulant medications from his recent surgery and their effects on his wounds.

“Thankfully, everyone is OK now and no one was killed or seriously injured,” said Roger Thompson.

It could have been very bad, had a little girl been at the glass display case for example, said RogerThompson.

The news shocked many SE students such as Severt Dahl.

“I died a little inside,” said Dahl.

Others such as Brianne Duke said that she was upset because Dandy Donuts was the one of the few places in Durant that was open all night and had free Wi-Fi.

Repairs are currently under way.  Ann  Thompson said they plan to put in new floors, trimming, paneling, tables and chairs.

In addition, repairs of the entrance door and front wall that were hit by the truck are almost complete, said the Thompsons.

The replacement display cases may not be new, said Roger Thompson, but “it’s new to us.”

The booths, however, will not be returning.

Ann Thompson said that she and her family are currently paying for the repairs out of pocket, as well as performing the majority of the repairs themselves.

The Thompsons and their family have been working long, hard hours and were able to have the “Open” sign turned back on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Wednesday nights were one of the busiest nights for the establishment, said the Thompsons.

Ann and Roger Thompson both agree that the SE collegiate clientele keep the business alive and thriving.

The pair would like to reopen as soon as possible to continue to serve the loyal fans of Dandy Donuts at all hours of day and/or night.