3 injured after SUV crashes into restaurant in Fair Lawn, N.J.
FAIR LAWN, N.J. -- There were some scary moments inside a New Jersey restaurant on Sunday, after an SUV smashed through the front windows and ended up inside.
Fair Lawn police said three people were injured.
It was utter chaos inside the popular sushi restaurant called Green Dragon.
Police say the driver of the SUV crashed through the front window by accident. She held her head after the impact, as she was helped out of the car and taken away on a stretcher.
"She lost control of her car. Looks like she was trying to step on her brake, but she stepped on the accelerator and she went right through the window," said family friend Arturo Buchmann.
Investigators said two other people were injured, including the restaurant owner's wife.
"She got hurt in the leg and I think she's now at the hospital trying to see how this is working out," Buchmann said.
The family that owns the restaurant didn't want to go on camera because they were still shaken up by what they witnessed firsthand.
They did tell CBS2 they've been here for more than a decade, and are thankful the situation wasn't any worse.
CBS2 saw the aftermath of the accident. There is substantial cleanup that was already underway, and we were told had this happened minutes later, the entire dining room would have been packed. Luckily, it wasn't. The objective now is to reopen, but that may take some time.
The entrance of the restaurant was mainly covered by plywood on Sunday night, and some exterior damage needs to be addressed before the establishment can be safely reopened.
For as bad as things look, knowing no one was seriously injured was a major relief.
"Gift of god, put it this way," Buchmann said.
He said one man and his mother were having tea in the same spot where the SUV eventually came to a stop.