Drunk Driver Rams Truck Through California Restaurant, No Injuries

2 min read

A suspected drunk driver plowed a truck through the front of a California restaurant on Saturday, narrowly missing diners and leaving the building in disarray. The incident occurred in Concord, California, and has left restaurant workers and customers shaken.

Truck Smashes Through Restaurant Windows

Law enforcement confirmed that the driver rammed his vehicle through the front windows of the Chicken Time and Kabob Craze restaurant on Meadow Lane. Video footage taken from inside the building shows the damage left behind, with glass and debris scattered across the floor. Restaurant owner Fraidoon Jamshed described the harrowing moments when the truck plowed through the front of the building, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

“The car jumped up and down, and then it hit the curb and just flew in my store. I had seven, eight people sitting there, and I was behind the counter. And thank God that it’s miraculous nobody got hurt. It was a miracle,” Jamshed said.

Driver Possibly Exceeded Speed Limit

According to Jamshed, the incident happened extremely fast, and he believes the driver was going 70 to 80 miles per hour. When the truck finally stopped, Jamshed said the driver’s foot was still on the gas, and they had to open the car to remove his foot from the gas.

The driver was later taken into custody for suspected DUI. Officials have closed the dining room due to damage to a concrete pillar supporting the roof, which was knocked down during the crash. However, the kitchen remains open for takeout and delivery.

Drunk Driving Laws and Recent Incidents

Repairing the building may take months to complete. In September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills aimed at curbing drunk driving across the state. The incident in Concord comes after another alleged drunk driving incident in Montclair, where a 38-year-old man was arrested for causing a fatal crash involving cyclists.

“Approximately 32 people die every day in drunk driving crashes across the United States,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Driving while impaired is a dangerous crime, and tough enforcement of drunk-driving laws has been a major factor in reducing drunk-driving deaths since the 1980s.