Somerville 7-Eleven.JPG

Stanchions were put up in front of the Somerville 7-Eleven on Mercer Street earlier this year to help prevent cars from crashing into the store.

(Meghan D. Hodgin/NJ.com)

A car drove all the way into a Somerville 7-Eleven location earlier this year.

SOMERVILLE — A convenience store plagued with cars crashing through its front doors over the last few years has finally received a little help — yellow stanchions have been erected out front to keep the traffic out.

The Mercer Street 7-Eleven has seen two cars crash through its front doors since January, and has had six cars in total crash into the building throughout the store's history.

Manager Danny Patel said last week the new yellow poles have been working, and the store hasn't had a car crash into it the poles were put in place around six months ago.

"We feel safer," he said Thursday.

While Margartet Chabris, spokeswoman for the convenience chain, previously told NJ.com it is "uncommon" for cars to crash into 7-Eleven stores, the stanchions were erected outside the Mercer Street location after 82-year-old David Wolven mistakenly stepped on the gas instead of the brakes while pulling into a parking space back in March.

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Before that, a car crashed all the way through the front window of the store in January, ending up entirely inside.

And in February 2012, a driver under the influence crashed a vehicle into the 7-Eleven, completely destroying the storefront window, MyCentralJersey reported at the time.