RUTHERFORD - A 71-year-old woman lost control of her car, jumped a curb and careened through the front door of a Rutherford pharmacy Wednesday, hitting a woman who managed to escape serious injury, police said.

The 18-year-old Rutherford woman jumped out of the way of the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo, but was hit on her lower right side at the Park Avenue store, according to Capt. Patrick A. Feliciano. She complained of pain, but opted to seek treatment from her own doctor following the 12:43 p.m. crash.

Feliciano said the woman was clearly aware of her surroundings and the injuries could have been far worse. The driver, also from Rutherford, was not hurt.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle considering what could have happened,” the captain said.

Firefighters needed to cut away the glass automatic doors to remove the car before it could be driven away, authorities said. Seconds after the crash, a group of onlookers gathered to snap cell phone photos of the car.

A cashier told The Record the accident was the third time in two years when a vehicle slammed into the front of the store.

In November, an employee getting ready to shop at the Westwood Trader Joe's was seriously hurt when a 75-year-old motorist slammed through a window at the supermarket.

