SUV Crashes Into St. Paul's Cherry Pit Bar & Grill

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An SUV crashed into the wall of Cherry Pit Bar & Grill in St. Paul just after 2 a.m. Friday, said owner Nicole Cherry. She said four employees were inside at the time of the crash, and no one was injured including the driver.

The driver, 47-year-old Rhonda Blake of St. Paul, was previously inside with a small group of friends, Cherry said. There is a good amount of damage to the outside wall, she said, and some parts are now boarded up. The extent of the damage is still unclear.

Police say they arrived and found a Chrysler Aspen with major front-end damage. Witnesses say the driver left in another vehicle, and police say she returned to the scene after officers identified and called her.

The bar's Facebook page released security video of the crash, and said "it was a group effort to clean up the mess."

(Credit: Cherry Pit Bar & Grill)

Cherry says the bar reopened 1 p.m. Friday. No citations for alcohol use were given, but police say Blake was cited for leaving the scene of an accident, failure to drive with due care, and failure to report. Cherry says the driver claimed the car malfunctioned and caused her to lose control.