A two-car accident at the entrance to Big Boy on Tuesday night left one
light post smashed to pieces, a Big Boy “exit” sign knocked over and
one man with minor injuries.

The accident occurred at the restaurant, 1623 S. Mission St., around
7 p.m. when a 1996 Range Rover, driven by 20-year-old Roberto Boffi,
rear-ended a large van in which three older men were traveling.

Officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department were on the scene
along with several tow trucks.

Officer Jeff Thompson said Boffi’s car hit the van, which was
stopping for another car that was turning in front of it. Boffi’s car
struck with enough force to launch the van forward into a cement light
pole which folded over the van, eventually smashing to pieces, officers
said.

An apologetic Boffi approached the men as their van was towed from
the scene. One of them was taken to the hospital by Mobile Medical
Response for minor injuries.

“I’m really sorry,” said Boffi, a Mid-Michigan Community College
student. “I was checking my blind spot right when you hit the brakes.”

Officers said the three men in the van were from out of town.

Boffi was issued a citation for being unable to stop in a sured
clear distance, Thompson said.

Boffi had minor damages to the front end of his car, though the van
was heavily damaged.

“Poor Big Boy got knocked over,” said Highland sophomore Adam
Santorilla, one of Boffi’s friends who stopped on the scene and watched
the aftermath from nearby.

“It looked pretty bad, but it came out all right,” said Lakeview
senior David Doerr, a Big Boy employee. “Nobody got hurt, everybody
seemed to be calm and under control and the situation was handled.”

Justin Bock, Big Boy manager, said he doesn’t know how much the
damage will cost but expects it to be covered by insurance. He said
traffic accidents aren’t a big concern on South Mission Street, but
pedestrian accidents are.

“People get hit when they walk across,” Bock said. “In the past two
years, three people were hit walking across. They should put up a
cross-walk.”

Officials from Consumers Energy arrived on the scene to clean up the
smashed light post about 45 minutes after the accident due to slight
confusion. Officials were unsure whether the state highway department
or Consumers Energy were responsible for the portion of Old 27.

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