7 hurt, 1 other arrested after SUV crashes into AT&T Store on northwest side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 49-year-old was arrested after an SUV on Monday crashed into an AT&T Store at a strip mall on the city’s northwest side, authorities said.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Pike Fire Department were called about 4 p.m. Monday to the AT&T Store at 4351 Lafayette Road. That’s at the intersection with Georgetown Road, near Lafayette Square Mall.

Djeneba Sambakey was arrested on preliminary charges of leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury, and refusal to identify. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will decide whether to file formal charges, IMPD said. Police on Tuesday were unable to confirm that Sambakey is the owner of Djeneba’s Hair Braiding Salon, which is next to the AT&T Store.

Six of the people injured were taken to area hospitals, and the other person hurt declined medical treatment at the scene, said James Michalisko, a division chief with Pike Township Fire Department, on Monday.

The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, IMPD Public Information Officer William Young said Monday. Those injured were believed to include both employees and customers.

Young said the SUV had initially been parked outside the building, and the driver left the scene after the crash. She was later apprehended at the hair-braiding salon next door.

“We are not calling that driver a suspect at this point — just a person of interest,” Young said Monday.

The vehicle busted out an entire panel of glass next to the front doors of the store, making it all the way to the back of business before coming to a stop.

Multiple 911 calls about the crash were made to dispatchers since it’s a busy area.

“There were various 911 calls that came in, as you can imagine whenever something like this happens. This is a heavily traveled area, so when something like this happens and you see this, there were numerous 911 calls,” Young said Monday.