Cops: Driver crashes at 2 Naperville businesses in 2 days

A woman who crashed a car into a Naperville eye care center last week had driven through a fence and into a yard a block away just one day earlier, police said Wednesday.

Mary Hasselberger, 66, told authorities there was a problem with the brakes or acceleration on the two different cars she was driving, but investigators “didn’t find any evidence to suggest that,” Sgt. Lou Cammiso said.

“Maybe she’s getting her brake and accelerator confused,” Cammiso said. “She’s driving two different cars, so it doesn’t make much sense.”

Hasselberger, of the 300 block of North Charles Street in Naperville, was cited for failure to reduce speed after the Friday crash at Rosin Eyecare, 705 E. Ogden Ave. She avoided charges a day earlier when she crashed through a fence behind a Dunkin’ Donuts at 811 E. Ogden Ave because the accident happened on private property, police said.

The earlier crash happened about 2:35 p.m. Thursday. Police said Hasselberger drove her 2003 Ford Taurus from the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot through a fence and into the back yard of a home facing Red Oak Court. The car came to rest after striking a bench and a tree. No injuries were reported.

About 1 p.m. the next day, Hasselberger drove a rented Buick LaCrosse into the side of the eye care center, causing the car to be lodged about five feet inside the lobby. Four employees on duty weren’t hurt, but firefighters had to extricate Hasselberger from the car. Police said she declined medical treatment.

DuPage County court records show that since 2000, Hasselberger has been cited four times for speeding, twice for operating an uninsured vehicle, and once for failing to signal.

Reached by phone Wednesday, she declined to comment.