Two people have reportedly died and at least nine others were injured after an SUV crashed into the outdoor seating area of a Washington, D.C. restaurant Friday, according to The Washington Post.
The crash occurred at the Parthenon restaurant in Northwest Washington D.C. at lunchtime around 12:15 p.m., The Washington Post reported, citing police. The crash is being investigated as an accident, as there is no indication it was intentional.
Eight people, including the two people who died, were taken to the hospital, spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Vito Maggiolo told the Post. Maggiolo said that three of the people hospitalized were treated for minor injuries, while three others were in critical condition.
Witnesses Becky Pulles and Christian Borjas were sitting outside the nearby Starbucks and saw the crash happen, the Post reported. They told the publication they heard the car accelerating as it crossed a nearby road.
NEW: DC Police tell me one woman who was taken to the hospital 🏥 has died from the single car crash outside of Parthenon Restaurant in Northwest. 7 others still in the hospital, 4 left with life-threatening injuries. I’ll have full reports at 4 pm, 5 pm, and 6 pm. pic.twitter.com/eZGoQSyn7Q
— Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) March 11, 2022
“It suddenly accelerated,” Pulles told The Post. “It looked like someone hit the accelerator instantly. It was going super-fast, like police-car fast.”
“It was horrific,” she added. (RELATED: Thief Runs DC Doctor Over With His Own Car After Hijacking It)
Borjas, who is a nurse, told the Post he and others helped lift the SUV off of an injured woman. Then, he helped the driver open the door, who Borjas said appeared to be elderly.
“He walked out. He was scared. You could tell it wasn’t intentional,” Borjas said.
The Metropolitan Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for additional comment.
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