With the rise of online shopping, it feels like humanity has moved past the days of Black Friday violence. Maybe this is for the best, but it is kinda wild to think that most kids today can’t remember a time when grown would corral outside of a Walmart at 2am to stampede through the aisles and bludgeon other parents for a Cabbage Patch Kid.

I never went to any of these sales as a kid (for fear of being trampled) but every post-Thanksiving weekend at home from school I would watch the news. They’d send whatever reporter that drew the short straw that year out to a mall or big box retailer to watch human beings claw through the weak and infirm for $100 off a flat-screen TV.

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It was an annual display of unbridled avarice that rivaled 1980s Wall Street. It also spawned one of my favorite Saturday Night Live shorts of all time.

That era peaked nine years ago, but maybe it was the spirit of Black Fridays past that possessed one driver at Crossgates Mall this Thanksgiving Week. News10 reports that Guilderland Police were called after a truck rammed the mall wall on Tuesday night.

Karolyi - Townsquare Media
Karolyi - Townsquare Media
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The section that the truck ran into was near the restaurant Texas de Brazil. Its opposition being a brick wall, the truck didn’t come out on top of this matchup. The wall is being assessed for any true structural damage and what repairs will be needed.

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Fortunately, and unlike the Black Fridays of yesteryear, nobody was injured in the crash. A police investigation is ongoing, with no word on what caused the crash. On a more positive note, Santa will be making his first appearance of the season at Crossgates on Friday. I’m sure he’ll politely park his sleigh in one of the designated spots, and he’d likely ask you to do the same.

Crossgates Mall in Albany Opened in 1984

This is what the Crossgates Mall looked like when it opened in 1984.

77" In 48 Hours - A Look At WNY's Record Breaking Lake Effect Snowstorm

The wet and heavy lake effect snowstorm pelted the area, making traveling impossible. Flights were canceled at Buffalo-Niagara Airport, causing headaches for travelers heading into the Thanksgiving holiday week. Driving bans are in effect in multiple WNY counties, making it illegal for employers to require their workers to commute.

Here’s some snapshots of what it looks like on the ground: