Car crashes into Harvey business — and it’s not the first time

CHICAGO (CBS) — A business in south suburban Harvey is badly damaged after a car crashed into it Sunday. Its owner says this is not the first time.

If you ask the Ibry family how they feel about this tremendous loss for their business, they’ll only say that they’re just happy no one was hurt. The damage though is costly enough to threaten their entire livelihood. 

Inside one Harvey garage, you’ll find a car in need of repairs, some machinery and 87-year-old Alex Ibry. 

“Been here a long time,” he said. 

His Al’s Auto Repair Service has been family owned and functional for two decades. He’s been a mechanic for more than 40 years. 

“Try to keep on going,” he said. 

Now they’re looking at a different type of repair. Not on a car, but on their business. 

“I said, ‘Dad nobody’s going to come to help us. My three people that are going to help us, that’s me, you and God. If it’s not for us to hold onto your place we’re going to hold onto it and there’s nothing that nobody can do,'” Ibry’s son said. 

Sunday morning a car crashed into the side. Bricks coated the vehicle and lay scattered on the floor. 

The woman driving walked away unharmed. 

They Harvey Police Department told CBS 2 the woman said she lost control because of a mechanical error.

This is the second time in just a few months that a car crashed into his shop. The first was in May when a driver tried to get away from police, smashing into the building instead. 

Alex’s son Robert said speeding is bad on their corner. He found a stop sign and put it up himself, only to find it down days later. 

“I had people stopping here, stopping on the corner of the stop sign over there they’re there should’ve been one on that side on the way changes there they come to fast around the corner,” he said. 

Since May they’ve rebuilding, and that is what they plan to do again now. 

“i can stand by and watch my father lose this,” Robert said. “I gotta rebuild.” 

CBS 2 asked the Harvey Police Department if there is any action being taken against the driver, but there was no response from them Sunday evening. We also tried calling the Harvey Transportation Department about a possible stop sign, but their mailbox was full. 

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the costs of repairs.