Creative Futons and Furniture, an interior design retailer in North Park, was severely damaged Thursday, April 5, when a woman drove her car through the business’s storefront. The driver, a Design Institute student, caused extensive damage.

The business has been closed since and will remain closed while repairs are made.

The store’s video surveillance system recorded the incident. The video showed the car crashing through the front windows and plowing through futons and other furniture along the way. The vehicle came to a halt at the rear of the store, stopped for a few moments, then backed out of the store.

The accident occurred shortly before 8 p.m., almost an hour after the business had closed.

Creative Futons owner Leslie Evans maintained a sense of humor about the incident, and credited the TV show “Survivor” for her absence. She said she left the store only minutes before the accident so that she could watch it.

“I’ve never missed an episode,” Evans laughed. “‘Survivor’ saved me.”

The driver, 23-year-old Kacie Alaga, called police after leaving the scene, saying that she had no recollection of the accident. Alaga told officers that she woke up confused and disoriented inside the store and didn’t realize what had happened.

Police suspect an unidentified medical condition may have caused Alaga to fall asleep at the wheel.

Evans said that the police didn’t test Alaga’s blood, but that they ruled out drugs or alcohol by observing her behavior. Police told Evans that because Alaga didn’t appear to be driving under the influence, she won’t face criminal charges for the accident. Although Alaga left the scene of the accident, there were no injuries and Alaga quickly called the police and returned to the scene.

Evans returned to the store after police informed her of the accident. She said she was stunned by the amount of damage to her business, but was grateful that the store was closed at the time and that nobody was hurt.

“At least I wasn’t killed,” Evans said.

The damage to the building and interior was extensive and will require major structural repairs. “It’s pretty interesting what they have to do to repair it. It’s just unbelievable,” Evans said. “We don’t know the total damages yet because the structural engineer still has to look at the front.”

Evans remains perplexed by how the accident was even possible. Her business is on the north side of University Avenue, and for a westbound driver to enter the store at that angle, while avoiding a street sign on the sidewalk, would have required a 100-110 degree right turn, a tricky feat even for a conscious driver.

“How did she turn from going west on University to turn directly into the store?” Evans asked. “You can see the tire tracks on the sidewalk coming straight in. She took out the center beam. I couldn’t do that in my Mini Cooper. Directly in front of the store is a speed limit sign, and she missed it. I could see it if the sign wasn’t there, but I don’t understand how she missed it.”

Despite significant damage to the building, Alaga’s vehicle was relatively unscathed. “She was driving a Volkswagen Jetta,” Evans said. “I want one now because the only damage to the vehicle was a cracked windshield and minor bumper damage. I want a car that can go through a building, back out of a building, and only have minor damage. That’s my kind of car.”

Evans said she wasn’t sure when she will be able to re-open. She hopes to be back in business in a few weeks, but said that will largely depend on how soon new product can be shipped in and how quickly repairs can be made. In the meantime, a handwritten message on the boarded windows states, “We give great service, but this is not a drive-thru store.”