COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two people were injured when a woman intentionally hit them with her car and drove into a restaurant on the city’s east side, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
Police said the driver has been arrested and charged with two counts of felonious assault.
Police said 20-year-old Tianna Harris and another woman were caught stealing from a store in the 1200 block of South James Road, which led to an argument with store staff.
The argument moved outside, where a 19-year-old man tried to record Harris' vehicle information.
Harris was caught on video trying to hit store employees with her car in the parking lot, according to police.
Police said eventually, Harris hit and injured a 37-year-old woman. Police said the woman was taken to Grant Medical Center.
Harris then drove away from the scene as the 19-year-old man chased her, according to police.
A short while later, just before 4:30 p.m., the man is seen walking in front of TAT Ristorante di Famiglia, which is near the retail store on South James Road.
Harris was seen driving her car at him from the back of the parking lot and hitting him and the building, police said.
The man was trapped between the car and the restaurant building.
Police wrote in a court filing that approximately 25 people were inside the restaurant at the time of the crash.
Harris and another woman in the car then ran from the scene, leaving the man pinned.
Once the man was freed by firefighters, medics took him to a local hospital. Both the man and woman who were injured are expected to survive their injuries, police said.
Harris was located by police about a half-mile from the scene. She was arrested and taken to jail. Harris denied all involvement in the incident, police wrote in a court filing.
Her arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
Fire officials at the scene told 10TV there is no major structural damage to the building. Restaurant staff said while everyone inside the building is OK, they had to leave as it was still not safe to be inside.
Sherry Thomas said she was working inside the restaurant when she heard a loud boom.
“We had two parties planned tonight. We had all reservations planned for tonight...and this happened,” she said. “We had a guy pinned in between a car. It makes me sick to my stomach. It's scary.”
Thoms said they were expecting around 50 people to show up within the next hour. Thomas said she is thankful no one was in the area of the restaurant where the car hit.
Thomas said there have been several incidents where cars have run into the restaurant's windows.
The restaurant will be closed until they can fix the damage.
Staff said the restaurant was closed the rest of Saturday and did not know when the business will reopen.
The crash comes a couple of weeks after the restaurant announced on social media it would be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays until further notice due to staffing issues.