Justin Carey tried to thank every customer who came through the Battle Ground Papa Murphy’s Wednesday evening, which was no easy feat.
By the time the store started its event at 4 p.m. to raise money to help offset the teen’s medical costs, there was already a line out the door and winding through the parking lot.
All 12 of the chain’s area restaurants took part in the event, called Dough Raising Night for Justin Carey, with 20 percent of all pizza sales between 4 and 8 p.m. donated to his recovery.
Early estimates suggest that more than 5,000 pizzas were sold during that time, said Molly Haynes, spokeswoman for the pizza chain headquartered in Vancouver.
At 8 p.m., the Battle Ground store still had 40 pizza orders waiting to be filled.
“I’m really excited to see how much funds we brought in for Justin,” Haynes said.
Carey, 16, was waiting for the school bus at the corner of Northeast 82nd Avenue and 289th Street on the morning of June 10 when he was struck by a Nissan Maxima. The driver, Shaun Johnson, 46, of Vancouver, allegedly did not tell emergency personnel that she had struck someone. Carey lay in a nearby ditch for 90 minutes before he was found by a tow truck driver.
Carey’s right leg was later amputated at the knee
Even with double the typical amount of staff, the Battle Ground restaurant called on other locations to help out, but their lines were out the door as well. Corporate staff helped out behind the counter as Carey and his family talked with customers.
