About two dozen customers of Groundswell coffee shop got an extra jolt — and not the caffeinated kind — on Thursday afternoon when a car crashed into the establishment.

The car was one of two that collided at the intersection of Thomas and Hamline avenues about 4:45 p.m., said Megan Greulich, a co-owner of the popular coffee shop.

The force of the collision sent one of the cars, a four-door sedan, onto the sidewalk where tables are set up in warmer weather and into the front wall near the door.

No one was injured, but the coffee shop had to close for clean-up and repairs.

St. Paul police said Friday that officers cited Katherine Lucille Renn, 49, of St. Paul, for failure to drive with due care.

Renn was westbound on Thomas Avenue and went through a red light, striking a vehicle that had the green light on Hamline Avenue, according to Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman. Renn’s vehicle then struck the coffee shop, Ernster said.

Reached several days after the incident, Renn said she did not hit the other vehicle, but that the other driver struck her vehicle’s passenger side.

“This was definitely an ‘accident,’ which they happen all the time,” Renn said in a message left with a Pioneer Press reporter. “I was not texting or doing anything illegal. My husband and I were on our way to dinner. He received the hardest impact from the other vehicle hitting his door. He is still recovering from bruised ribs. We are just grateful that no one was seriously injured.”

Greulich, who owns the shop with Tim and Alisha Gilbert, said she was on her way to work when the collision occurred. She arrived about five minutes afterward.

“When I got there everyone was just calm and helpful,” she said. “I was super impressed. I was really proud of our staff, too.” Related Articles St. Stanislaus’ longtime priest the Rev. John Clay leaves legacy of love. He died Sunday at age 94

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Greulich said they hope to reopen the shop by Saturday. The car punched a hole in the wall below the front window and pushed in the woodwork surrounding a heating radiator. She said the building owner was working on assessing damage Thursday night.

A steady stream of neighbors came by Thursday afternoon to take pictures and offer assistance.

“That’s part of being a neighborhood cafe: So many people came to offer to help clean up and make sure everyone is OK,” Greulich said.

Mara H. Gottfried contributed to this report.