Florence,AL : Car crashes into Sam's Sports Grill on October, Thursday 12th 2017

A woman attempting to park near the north side of Sam’s Sport Grill left a lasting impression on the building Thursday as her car rammed into the structure.

Two people on the inside, sitting near where the car struck the building, were slightly injured.

“A man who said he was on the other side (of the restaurant) eating said it sounded like a bomb went off,” said Florence Fire Battalion Chief Dennis Brown.

The car, a 2010 Mercedes E3S, hit the building, which is located at 339 Seville St., between a corner exit door and a side window.

The general manager, Jim Beam, said there were tables near where the car hit the wall.

“We had a good lunch crowd inside, so there were several people in that area,” Beam said.

Emergency medical personnel at the scene said one woman was taken to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence to be treated for an injury to her arm. Officials said she was hit by a brick that was knocked from the wall.

Another person was treated for minor injuries.

The driver of the car, Carol Swindle, 65, of Killen, was not injured.

Police detective Sgt. Greg Cobb said the accident occurred around 11:40 a.m. He said the driver “accidentally pressed her gas pedal instead of her brake and ran into the building.”

Florence Building Department was contacted to send someone to inspect the building to check on structural damage and determine what would need to be done to repair the facility.

Beam said the business closed for the remainder of the day Thursday. He did not know when it would reopen.

“It looks like the building got the worst of it,” Brown said.

The accident remains under investigation by the Florence Police Department.



Source :
Car crashes into Sam's Sports Grill