'It's a huge loss': Owner of flower shop damaged in alleged drunk driving crash speaks out

Jennifer Sullivan planned to spend this week preparing her shop, Special Moments Flowers and Gifts, for Mother's Day, which is one of the busiest days of the year for florists.

But her North Vancouver store is behind plywood, after sustaining major damage in a collision that was caused by an alleged drunk driver.

“I’m shocked – all the hard work and everything that is now just destroyed,” said Sullivan. “It’s a huge loss. I have been working for weeks to get prepared with arrangements and ordering flowers and organizing staff.”

On Saturday night, dash cam footage captured a black SUV speeding towards parked cars in the parking lot of the Park and Tilford shopping centre, where Sullivan’s store is located. The SUV hit an empty sedan with such force, the small car careened right through the glass doors of the flower shop.

Police are investigating the woman behind the wheel of the SUV – which ended up against concrete barriers at a neighbouring Winners store – for impaired driving.

“It’s sickening to think somebody is out on the road that intoxicated,” said Sullivan. “It was absolutely shocking that nobody was hurt, because normally there are a lot people walking by the stores.”

Her shop is now in ruins, but Sullivan is determined to fulfill her Mother's Day orders.

“I have lots of offers of temporary space to make arrangements in. I just may not be able to be here. I’m not sure if I will be able to be open for people to come by and pick things up,” Sullivan said.

The beloved local florist is getting plenty of offers of help from loyal customers who want to pitch in to clean the store up in time for Mother's Day.

“Jennifer has put in so much work to make this shop so special for everyone who comes in,” said customer Annika Treffer, who came by to console Sullivan at the store on Monday. ”I have offered my services to volunteer, sweep floors, do whatever I need to do, and she has graciously declined. She will do it on her own.”

Sullivan said once she gets the OK from engineers that the store in structurally sound, she will start the massive clean up.

“I’m not going to let my customers down,” she said. “I will work hard tirelessly to get everything ready as much as I can, so that people can come in and pick up flowers for the special mothers in their lives.”