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Vodka ignites after car hits Highland Park liquor store

About $100,000 of alcohol was destroyed after a Highland Park woman drove her car into a liquor store, causing a vodka-fueled fire.

Eighty-four-year-old Marty Anderson says the gas pedal on her BMW got stuck on Thursday, causing her car to jump a curb and crash through the window of Binny’s Beverage Depot in Highland Park.

The car plowed into a display, spilling gallons of liquor — mostly vodka and gin. While the display cushioned her impact, Highland Park Fire Chief Patrick Tanner says vodka ignited the fire.

As flames and smoke billowed from the store, employees pulled Anderson from her burning car.

She’s recovering and says she’s glad no one was hurt. Anderson adds she’s never had a drink in her life.

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