NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - A church van with children inside crashed into a North Miami restaurant that had only recently opened, leaving damage behind but no injuries.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the crash scene near Northwest 122nd Street and Seventh Avenue, Wednesday, just after 3 p.m.
The white van crashed into G’s BBQ and Pizza restaurant head-first.
“I heard the noise. It was a loud noise,” said restaurant owner Fitzgerald Gabriel. “When I come to the front and I see the van was already in, I was trying to pull the kids out. Everybody tried to pull the kids out, and to see if nobody was under the van. There was nobody under the van.”
According to police, the van was cut off by another vehicle. The driver swerved in an attempt to avoid the crash but ended up colliding with the newly opened restaurant.
Dramatic video captured the van barely missing people eating just inches away.
“I just, like two seconds, I just left the register,” said a customer.
Good Samaritans quickly rushed to see if everybody was fine.
“We started banging, open the door! Open the door!” said Oscar Pelegrin, a bystander.
Officials said up to 10 children were inside the van. They were all OK.
People could be seen hugging the children who were in the van, relieved that they were unscathed.
The van has since been towed away for further investigation.
Windows could be seen smashed in and metal exposed after the truck was pulled out.
The vehicle the van’s driver tried to avoid crashing into was a Nissan Altima.
The driver said she picked up the children from school to bring them to their homes, and that’s when the crash took place.
“I had 10 kids, and then they came out without a scratch?” said driver Joyce Durand. “We all come out without a scratch. That is God.”
The owner told 7News that he opened his business just two weeks ago, and he plans to reopen soon.
Police say the driver was cited at the scene.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.