COLUMBUS, Ohio — A southeast Columbus restaurant was heavily damaged after a car crashed through the front door and window Friday evening.
The crash happened at the Buckeye Hibachi restaurant at 5609 Chatterton Road around 4:45 p.m.
According to Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Jeffrey Geitter, one person was taken to OhioHealth Pickerington Methodist Hospital in “stable” condition. It’s unclear if the injured person was in the vehicle or a patron at the restaurant.
Other victims were treated at the scene, Geitter said. It’s unclear how many people were involved.
Photos and videos show glass shattered inside the restaurant and on the sidewalk outside. Inside the restaurant, chairs and tables can be seen broken or flipped.
"My God, it was like a big thunderstorm, you know it was a big crash,” said Eric Gary, a barber who works next door to the restaurant.
Surveillance video shows a silver Toyota Highlander barreling into the restaurant. Two people standing at the counter waiting to order jumped out of the way seconds before they would’ve been hit.
"I immediately just came out of the barbershop and ran in here to make sure everybody was alright 'cause these are my friends that work over here at Hibachi,” Gary said.
Gary said everyone who heard what happened was shaken up.
"Everybody was really basically concerned for everybody's welfare, especially for the child in the backseat of the car,” Gary said.
Fortunately, several people only sustained minor injuries. Witnesses also said the child was still sleeping in the backseat of the car when first responders got to the scene.
Vence Sumampouw, owner and cook at Buckeye Hibachi, was inside at the same time the car crashed into his business.
"I was thinking like, is that really happening?" Sumampouw said.
Sumampouw said he immediately checked to make sure everyone was OK. Then, the reality of what happened started to sink in.
"Oh my gosh, I was thinking like, usually the customers sit over here and then eat on the other side, but thank God that time no one’s there,” Sumampouw said.
Tini Fnu, Sumampouw’s wife and manager of the store, shared the same sentiment.
"It's a blessing, it's a miracle nothing happened, like nobody [was] injured,” Fnu said.
Now that the car has been removed from the store, the owners will have to look into the next steps to restore their business as soon as possible.
"We lost a business... my employees lost a job.. that's the only way I can see it right now,” Fnu said.
It's still unclear what led up to the car crashing into the store. The owners are unsure when they’ll be able to reopen.
The restaurant is located in a complex with a business on either side of it, though no other businesses appeared to be affected by the crash.
No information has been released on the driver.
This is a developing story. Stick with 10TV News for any updates.
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