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‘Under The Sun’ employees over the moon nobody hurt in crash

Van crashes into market

A suspected drunk driver was arrested Saturday after crashing a stolen van into the side of Under The Sun, a discount market located at the corner of 38th and Illinois streets.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A suspected drunk driver crashed a stolen van into a bargain market Saturday morning on the north side of Indianapolis, police said.

Under the Sun Market, located at 3802 N. Illinois St., sustained thousands of dollars in structural damage and will remain closed for the weekend, a store manager said.

Kevin Wormley, 56, was arrested and charged with auto theft, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle without ever having received a license.

He remained in custody Saturday night, according to jail records.

Employees said they were “blessed” the accident did not result in any serious injuries.

“There’s a whole bunch of debris,” a manager told News 8. “Metal and glass everywhere. But we will clean up and reopen on Monday.”

A metal window frame near the entrance collapsed in the crash. Workers and volunteers spent hours sweeping up broken glass and placing boards over the damaged storefront. 

Michael McKillip, the landlord and executive director of Midtown Indy, said staying open during repairs would allow the market to continue serving residents in the local “food desert.”

“This entire community depends on this store,” he said. “The closest grocery store is a 45- to 50-minute bus ride away for folks in this neighborhood, with multiple transfers. Without this grocery store, folks are left with options like the Dollar General store where we don’t have the healthy food choices that we have here at Under The Sun.”

The business aims to reduce food waste by embracing a “food recovery model,” employees explained.

Under The Sun sells discounted items — including products nearing sell-by dates or packaged in damaged shipping containers — in communities with minimal access to traditional grocery stores.

A second Under The Sun store, located at 2400 Roosevelt Ave., will be open during the weekend while the Illinois Street location is closed for preliminary repairs.

Attorneys representing Wormley could not be reached for comment.