Driver Trying to Park Injures 20 at Restaurant

Car crashed through front of restaurant at Florida shopping center
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 19, 2023 8:30 AM CDT

A driver trying to park crashed into a restaurant at a shopping center in south Florida Friday evening, injuring 20 people. Lt. Aston Bright, spokesperson for the Plantation Fire Department in Broward County, says the woman crashed into the Thai Meal restaurant around 6:30pm, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Officials in Broward County say 12 injured people, including two pregnant women, were hospitalized, but none of the injuries were considered life-threatening. "It was an extremely dangerous situation," Bright tells WPLG. "As far as we know, the driver was trying to park the car and somehow crashed into the building."

The driver, who was uninjured, remained at the scene. It's not clear whether she will face charges. Witnesses said the car ended up fully inside the building. Angel Soler, who was injured by flying glass, says it sounded like an explosion when the red Nissan Altima crashed through the front of the restaurant. "When she first came in, my back was to the glass. I heard a big explosion. Everybody went flying, tables went sliding." he tells WSVN. "There was a lot of screaming," Soler says. "There was a lot of shouting. Everybody was trying to see if there was anybody under the car." (More Florida stories.)

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