Lucky escape after driver crashes into restaurant
9:36pm Friday 16th May 2008
STAFF and customers in an Indian takeaway had a lucky escape when a car smashed through its front windows.
The Mercedes Benz driver's car narrowly missed staff working behind the bar at the restaurant in High Street, Yarm, near Stockton.
The impact was so powerful that only about six inches of the car remained outside the window following the accident at about 6.30pm last night.
The unlucky customer is a regular at the Raj Bari, according to staff.
Mahfuz Ahmed, weekend manager of the restaurant, said: "It sounded like a bomb had gone off, everyone was very lucky not to be seriously injured.
"The guy was a regular customer and had just popped in to pick up his takeaway when he accidentally drove through the windows.
"Thankfully, this happened at 6.30pm because we are usually still quiet then, but if it had happened an hour later people could easily have been killed in the accident. One of our customers suffered minor cuts and bruises, but I don't think the driver was hurt at all."
Witness Brian Barlow said: "I couldn't believe what happened. The noise was incredible. I really can't believe nobody was seriously hurt."
Fire crews had to call on a structural engineer to assess the damage before they entered the premises or any attempt was made to free the car from the window.