Noella Yvonne Fay faces criminal charges after police say she drove her SUV through the aisles of a Safeway grocery store shortly after midnight when the store didn’t accept her $2,200 check payment for gift cards earlier in the day. (SBG/Gary Sherman; Lane County Jail mugshot)

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (KVAL) – A woman drove her SUV through the aisles of a Safeway grocery store shortly after midnight when the store didn’t accept her $2,200 check payment for gift cards earlier in the day, Springfield Police officials said.

"It goes without saying that we are just grateful that no customers or employees were harmed in our Springfield Safeway this morning," said Jill McGinnis, communications manager with Safeway. "We are currently working diligently to open our doors later this afternoon."

Employees at the store at 1891 Pioneer Parkway East told police that 43-year-old Noella Yvonne Fay came into the store around 4 p.m. Tuesday trying to buy several gift cards totaling $2,200.



They said she left the store angry when her check didn’t clear.

Fay returned to the store around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday and parked her Chevy Tahoe in front of the doors.

According to police, Fay was “yelling about wanting her cards" when an employee told her to move her car so they could discuss the transaction.

Police officials said Fay drove through the west doors, turned down an aisle towards the back of the store, reversed back to the cash registers and turned towards the deli area.

She then drove out through the other set of doors on the east side of the building and was last seen heading south on Pioneer Parkway.

Fay was arrested at her home in Glenwood; she was booked on six counts of reckless endangering, hit-and-run, reckless driving and criminal mischief.

Her car was found abandoned near the intersection of Water and West C streets.

No word from officials on the damage estimate at the store.

