NASHUA – As Peter Collins worked in the heat Sunday to clean up a pile of bricks and debris in front of his family’s flower shop, he thought better than to complain.

“I’m having a lousy Sunday, but the poor guy who did it is probably having a worse day than I am,” Collins thought.

The poor guy Collins referred to is the still unidentified driver of a Nissan Maxima that plowed into Collins Flowers before 8 p.m. Saturday. Officials say they believe the driver suffered a medical emergency – possibly a heart attack – before losing control of the car, which was headed south on Main Street from the top of Library Hill.

The driver was treated by paramedics at the scene and then transported to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.

Collins Flowers, 9 Main St., reopened for business Monday morning. However, customers were directed to the back door.

The front door was destroyed during the crash.

“There was some structural damage. The corner of the Maxima came three feet into the store,” Collins said.

Fortunately, the store was closed for the night, and no one was inside when the crash occurred, he said.

“It must have been like a horror movie in here when that glass exploded,” Collins said.

All told, the damage wasn’t too bad, certainly not as bad as it could have been, Collins said. Bricks need to be cleaned up, a corner shored up and the front door and a small section of the facade replaced.

Collins met Monday with city inspectors and various tradesmen, as well as his insurance agent.

“That’s been my morning,” he said.

Still, he’s glad the car hit his store instead of veering the other way and maybe plowing into a van full of kids, Collins said.

Collins Flower, an 82-year-old family business, has been at its current location – it’s third on Main Street – since 1980. This isn’t the first time a car has encroached onto the shop’s turf, Collins said.

Some years ago, a vehicle coming from Lock Street – up the hill and catty-corner from the shop – took out one parking meter in front. The meter wasn’t replaced, and a concrete stub remains.

The Maxima took out the other parking meter Saturday before striking the building. City crews were on hand Monday to replace that meter.

Patrick Meighan can be reached at 594-6518 or pmeighan@nashuatelegraph.com.