BERKELEY – When news spread that der Wunder Wiener – the iconic hot dog stand on Route 9 – was destroyed by a vehicle going off the road, locals were saddened. But when they heard that the owner was inside when it happened, they felt their hearts sink.
Gerald LaCrosse was doing some routine work on June 11, 2018. It was a Monday, and in the morning, too. The stand wasn’t open. But by some happenstance he was inside when an SUV left the roadway and plowed into the stand.
During his recovery, he thanked the many people who came out of the woodwork to lend a hand, not the least of which the Berkeley, Beachwood, and Pine Beach police departments who held a fundraiser for him. But there’s one person he hasn’t had a chance to thank yet.
He was told that there was a nurse who had a medical kit with her who arrived at the scene of the crash who stopped his bleeding. He is on blood thinners, and had a head injury, so this was no small feat.
“I truly believe she saved my life and I don’t even know who she is,” he said.
He’s hoping that someone knows this person and can get him in touch with her, because he just wants to meet her and thank her properly for all she did.
His rehabilitation was long. And the road to rebuilding the stand is also seeing a lot of challenges.
Drivers on Route 9 will see the new stand and are probably wondering when it is re-opening.
LaCrosse told The Berkeley Times that supply chain issues have pushed back opening day. He had intended to do it June 11 – the 5th anniversary of the accident – taking a sad day and turning into a happy one.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. There’s a moving goalpost of some time this summer.
“I’ve been on a trampoline and not able to get off,” he said of all the ups and downs. “Everything that was destroyed in the accident has been hard to be replaced.”
