Chapin, SC (Paul Kirby) A Spectrum van ran off Chapin Road Saturday near Weisz Street and hit several signs and a part of the lean-to cover of the patio at the Wired Goat before coming to a stop in the outdoor eating area. This all occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m. Lexington County dispatched an ambulance, several fire trucks from the local stations, and the fire service’s special building collapse equipment after they first received the call in the 911 center. The on-duty Chapin Police Department officer also responded to the call. Once the first fire service equipment and personnel arrived on scene and realized the building hadn’t been significantly damaged, they released the special equipment that was coming from the south side of Lake Murray to return to their stations.
The Wired Goat has been closed for about a month at its Chapin location which may have prevented anyone from being injured Saturday. When opened, the area where the van came to rest was often filled with customers enjoying their coffee and meals at outdoor tables. The businesses’ management had originally said they were closed for remodeling, but at this point, it doesn’t appear as if any work has begun. According to their internet presence, The Wired Goat is a specialty coffee shop that has two locations, one in Chapin and another in Columbia. They specialize in small batch roasting of high-end coffee and feature an all-natural bakery, breakfast and brunch, as well as a bistro style lunch menu.
According to Chapin Police Chief Seth Zeigler, a health related situation caused the driver of the van to leave the roadway. The vehicle was coming into Chapin, left the road, and then hit a street sign between Glenwood and Weiz Street. It also hit the mailbox and signs for Steve's Barbershop before hitting the Wired Goat's covered porch area. The lean-to was not knocked down and didn’t appear in danger of immediately collapsing.
