Vehicle crashes into, closes new local business in Copperas Cove

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press

A motor vehicle accident involving four vehicles on Saturday morning at the intersection of Avenue D and Business 190 has resulted in the temporary closure of local business Creative Cakes and Snacks. 
One of the vehicles, a black truck, was struck behind by another vehicle and careened across East Avenue D, then plowed into the front of the Creative Cakes and Snacks building after 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning. 
According to Lt. Krystal Baker with the Copperas Cove Police Department, a possible medical issue contributed to the accident. 
“Two were transported with non-life threatening injuries. There have been no charges filed as of right now, but the investigation continues,” Baker said on Monday morning. 
Store owners Salima and Know-Ledge Truth were inside the building when the truck crashed into the front, but they were in the back at the time of impact, according to Salima. They were finishing up baking any additional product for the day as well as completing cake orders for the weekend, and they had been expecting a number of customers to pick up bulk cupcakes. 
Know-Ledge had been in the front, by the register, just eight seconds before the truck crashed, according to security camera footage released by the Truths. 
“My husband heard the sound first,” Salima said. “He looked up at the camera and rushed to the back, not knowing where the impact would be and how far would they come in.”
The damage to the building has resulted in the business having to be closed indefinitely as the damage is estimated for the repairs to be made. The front wall split where the truck made impact, the impact also damaged the walk-in fridge foundation as well, according to Salima. 
The power is out in the front of the building, with hanging wires and a dropped ceiling. The bathroom was totaled, as well as the display case which will need to be replaced. Because of all of this, the power to the supplies and the ice cream freezer is off. Salima said that they had just received a large shipment of ice cream the day before. 
Salima said she is thankful that she and her husband are okay. 
“The building can be replaced; however, our lives cannot be,” Salima said. 
Because of the extent of the damage, the business will remain closed until it is deemed safe to return to the building. 
The Truths have set up a Go Fund Me to raise money as they wait for business to resume: https://www.gofundme.com/f/creative-cakes-and-snacks?sharetype=teams&mem...
As of press time, $650 had been raised, to help with constructing safety barriers outside.  
“We are asking the community if they can come together to help with anything they can,” Salima wrote on the Go Fund Me page. “We know the holidays are tight. We have staff that will be hit the hardest due to our building deemed as unsafe to enter. We don’t know when we will open back up; however, when we do, we want to get the parking lot redone/barriers for more safety.”
Anyone interested in placing an order should contact the Truths, who will still take orders depending on the type of treat and their equipment availability. 
One of the other vehicles involved in the accident was a small black car. The driver of the black car, Iris, suffered from both legs being broken in several places and broken hands, and she was transported to the hospital and taken to surgery, according to family friend Brittany Emberton. 
Emberton added that Iris’ daughter, Audrey, was kept in the hospital overnight with bruises and marks from her seatbelt but was okay otherwise. Emberton said that a Go Fund Me had not been set up yet but added that Iris is a single mother of four and will need help as she recuperates.