Car crashes into Greek restaurant, injuring three diners

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 18:14 · Archive

A 45-year-old driver crashed a car into a busy restaurant in Thessaloniki, Greece, early Sunday, injuring three people.

A car crashed into a busy restaurant in Evosmos, Thessaloniki, early on Sunday, injuring three patrons who were rushed to hospital. The 45-year-old driver, a non-Greek national, was arrested at the scene. A breathalyser test administered there showed he was intoxicated.

Video footage captured the vehicle reversing after the collision as diners grabbed chairs. The driver claimed after a Monday court hearing that he backed up because he realised he had hit people. The restaurant owner, who had stepped out minutes before the incident, said she witnessed 'terror and panic' when she returned. She credited solid flowerpots placed around the restaurant with preventing fatalities, saying 'If we didn't have planters, we would have funerals'.

The driver faces charges of dangerous driving, bodily harm by negligence, and attempting to flee the scene. The New York Post reports that he allegedly tried to flee before police arrived, though he later said 'I did not want to escape'.

How it is being reported

• Wild video shows car smashing into packed tourist restaurant in Greece: ‘Like watching a movie’Wild video shows an alleged drunk driver smashing into a restaurant in Greece while customers were eating in scenes witnesses say was like "watching a movie."New York Post · 12 Oct, 17:59
• Car crashes into packed restaurant in popular British tourist hotspot in GreeceA breathalyser test was administered at the scene and reportedly showed that the driver was intoxicated when the incident occurred early on SundayThe Mirror · 12 Oct, 06:28

In this story: Thessaloniki · Greece · Evosmos

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