Vehicle crashes through hotel

CLOVIS - A Clovis hotel got an unexpected guest Thursday afternoon, and what the owner estimates to be $100,000 in damage as a result.

The Colonial Heritage Hotel, just southwest of the Cameo and Seventh streets intersection, had multiple worker and public areas damaged when a vehicle owner Ali Ghaffari and hotel staff described as a Chevy Suburban barreled down Sixth Street and came into the hotel through a wall.

Johnny Moreno, who does maintenance for the hotel, said he was in the pantry area a little after 4:30 p.m. when he saw the vehicle and went down after what he said felt like being hit by a 2-by-4 or a pipe.

"I was turned to my left, and that's when the Suburban passed me so fast," Moreno said. "Something hit me in the neck and I fell down."

According to information from Clovis Police Department Capt. Roman Romero, "The vehicle pushed through a freezer, a store room, ultimately coming to a stop in the Inn's dining room, approximately 45 feet into the building.

"The driver of the vehicle, a 32-year-old Hispanic male, was found and transported to Plains Regional Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. Officers attempted to speak to the driver, but he was uncooperative. This incident is under investigation."

Moreno went to PRMC as a precaution, and was released later that evening with minor injuries.

Ghaffari said about 20 guests were at the hotel at the time, but fortunately nobody was in the dining room. Had the crash happened an hour later, Ghaffari feared there would have been numerous serious injuries or deaths.

"Fortunately," Ghaffari said, "he didn't hit the gas pipe. It would have been a disaster."

The Ghaffari family has owned the building since 1991, when it was renovated from its former life as a nursing home and physical therapy hospital.