PINECREST, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman narrowly escaped injuries after crashing her car into Nautical Bowls, a local restaurant in Pinecrest.
The incident occurred just after 1 p.m. on Thursday, when police said the driver, who had stopped to pick up her lunch, mistakenly failed to put her vehicle in park.
As the woman exited her red Mini Cooper and made her way toward the restaurant, located along South Dixie Highway, near Southwest 72nd Avenue, she suddenly realized her oversight and quickly tried to rectify the situation.
Believing she had slammed on the brakes, she inadvertently stepped on the accelerator, causing the car to surge forward and collide with the establishment.
“I came as soon as possible,” said Eliud Castillo, the restaurant’s general manager.
Castillo said he wasn’t on-site at the time, but rushed over as soon as he got the call.
“The car was through the window, glass everywhere, tables broken, chairs bent,” he said.
The only person inside Nautical Bowls at the time was an employee who managed to avoid any harm. Both the worker and the driver emerged from the crash unharmed.
Others who work nearby ran outside to see what had happened.
“I was in shock, I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness,'” said Sabrina Coto.
Law enforcement authorities arrived at the scene promptly and cited the driver for careless driving.
“She’s actually a regular, she was really embarrassed. As long as she’s OK, I told her, ‘Hey, It doesn’t really matter. Nobody was hurt, you’re OK, we’ll get it fixed, all of this is replaceable,'” said Castillo.
The driver’s car was later towed away from the scene.
The restaurant was closed all day Thursday for cleanups and repairs. It is expected to open back up Friday at 9 a.m.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.