A quick lane change around a city public works crew led to a Dodge Challenger crashing through a chain link fence into the lot of Hot Rod Alley in the 2400 block of Simpson Avenue in Hoquiam Wednesday morning, damaging the Challenger and six consignment cars in the lot.

Shortly before 9 a.m. a 19-year-old Hoquiam man driving the Challenger passed a City of Hoquiam crew clearing a storm drain in the right lane, said Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.

“Once clear of the blocked lane, the driver of the Challenger accelerated rapidly and attempted to change lanes to the right,” said Myers. “The driver’s rapid acceleration and lane change maneuver caused the vehicle to fish-tail; the driver then over-corrected and caused the vehicle to careen into the fence and several parked cars at an adjacent car lot.”

“He hit a Nissan so hard on the front of the lot that it blew it out of gear and pushed it back into a Cadillac parked right in front of the shop,” said Hot Rod Alley owner Don Fowler. He said he was in the shop and heard the Challenger accelerate and “saw the whole thing happen in slow motion.”

“Damage to the vehicles for sale included not only the impact from the Challenger, but also damage from the fence scraping across vehicles as it was knocked down in the collision,” said Myers. “The collision resulted in several thousands of dollars in damage to the vehicles on the car lot.”

The damaged cars in the lot included a Chevy Trailblazer, a Nissan Murano, an H2 Hummer, a CTS Cadillac, and “a couple dozen scratches on a Wrangler and Volvo” from the fence being dragged over them, said Fowler, who immediately put the fence back together with a few panels shortly after the accident.

Myers reported there were no injuries; the driver was issued an infraction for negligent driving in the second degree after the Challenger was towed from the scene.