An elderly couple accidentally crashed through the front of a Medina karate studio on New Year’s Day, the owner said. The studio was closed for the holiday, and no one was injured.

The couple were leaving a strip mall near the intersection of Hwy. 55 and County Road 101 when the driver mistakenly hit the gas pedal, sending the sedan through the storefront of Dojo Karate, said owner Mike Salas.

No one was inside at the time. Neighboring businesses alerted Salas to the crash about 6:15 p.m. Friday. The couple in the car didn’t appear to be hurt, he said. Medina police could not be reached Friday night.

The Medina studio is one of Dojo Karate’s most popular locations, with six others spread across the Twin Cities metro.

Salas said he was working to clean up shattered glass and board up windows Friday evening, then notify students. It’s unclear how long the studio will remain closed for repairs, he said, but he is hoping to reopen within a few days. The Medina location typically runs six to eight classes a day, six days a week.

Liz Sawyer