Garnavillo Mini-Mart damaged after juvenile on an instruction permit inadvertently pressed the accelerator. No injuries reported

On April 14^th, 2026, at approximately 6:53 p.m., the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center took a 911 call from the Mini Mart Gas Station at 609 S. Main Street in Garnavillo. While dispatch was attempting to determine the nature of the emergency due to no one speaking on the other end of the line, a responding Garnavillo police officer observed that a vehicle had driven through the front of the building. Fire and EMS were subsequently dispatched to the scene. An investigation determined that a Cadillac sedan being operated by a juvenile on an instruction permit in the presence of a parent/guardian had been attempting to park in the parking lot when they inadvertently pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the car to accelerate through the front of the business. No injuries were reported by either the occupants of the vehicle or the patrons/staff of the service station. The Garnavillo Police Department would like to thank the quick response of the Garnavillo Fire Department/First Responders and the Guttenberg Ambulance Service. Garnavillo P.D. was assisted on scene by deputies with the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.