Authorities said the elderly driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into an outdoor seating area at a busy restaurant in Washington, D.C. at lunchtime on Friday, killing two women and injuring three people with life-threatening injuries.
A total of 11 people were injured, eight of whom were taken to hospitals, according to emergency services, who said the accident was accidental.
The crash happened just after noon outside the Parthenon Restaurant in northwest Washington’s Chevy Chase neighborhood, turning a popular dining spot into a scene of chaos.
Becky Pulles, 75, a retiree who lives in the area, said in a phone interview Friday that she was having coffee at a Starbucks coffee shop next to the restaurant when she saw the car accelerate and crash.
“He drove so fast,” said Miss Pulles. “He just bumped into him.
According to her, the car jumped over the curb and crashed into the tables “in the blink of an eye.”
As the coronavirus pandemic enters its third year, outdoor dining continues to be an attractive option for many restaurants and their patrons. It was sunny and around 60 degrees at the time of the crash, which made the restaurant’s sidewalk tables especially inviting.
The driver, whose name has not been released, was driving down Connecticut Avenue when his car coasted onto the sidewalk. Duncan Bedlion of the Metropolitan Police Department said during a press conference.
The car came to a halt on the sidewalk, where crumpled tables and wicker chairs were strewn about. Rescuers credited other drivers with helping bring attention to the accident.
“They were honking,” Commander Bedlion said. “They stopped the officers and we were able to get here immediately and secure the scene. Of course, it’s very sad, an area where we know people dine every day.”
Those injured were between 30 and 80 years old, Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for the District of Columbia’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, said Friday. Authorities, who did not identify the victims, said the first 911 call came at 12:18 p.m.
Police said the driver of the crashed car was cooperating with authorities.
“From what we can tell right now, it was indeed an accident,” Commander Bedlion said.
The man who answered the phone at the restaurant on Friday declined to talk about the crash, saying: “Now I’m worried about these people’s lives.”
Ms Pulles, the hotel’s retired food service director, said the car was leaving a gas station near the restaurant as the driver of the crashed car approached the block where the accident occurred.
“A person could have pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake to avoid this car,” she said.
A friend who had coffee with Ms Pulles rushed to the aid of the victims, including an elderly woman who was pinned under a car, Ms Pulles said.