Diners and staff at a California restaurant experienced a terrifying near-miss on Saturday afternoon when a suspected drunk driver sent his truck barreling through the front windows at high speed, crashing into the dining room while customers were seated just feet away.
The incident occurred at Chicken Time and Kabob Craze on Meadow Lane in Concord, where law enforcement said the driver rammed his vehicle completely through the restaurant’s front windows. According to KRON, surveillance footage captured the shocking moments as the truck tore through the building’s facade.
Restaurant owner Fraidoon Jamshed described the harrowing scene that unfolded in a matter of seconds. Seven to eight customers were seated in the dining area when the vehicle struck.
“The car jumped up and down, and then it hit the curb and this curb, and just flew in my store,” Jamshed recounted. “I had seven, eight people sitting there, and I was behind the counter. And thank God that it’s miraculous nobody got hurt. It was a miracle.”
Surveillance Footage Shows Close Call
Video footage from inside the restaurant shows the truck smashing through the front of the building before continuing to move slowly forward into the dining room, its momentum carrying it deeper into the space where patrons sat in booths and at tables.
Jamshed estimated the driver was traveling between 70 and 80 miles per hour when the vehicle jumped the curb and crashed into the establishment. The speed and force left glass and debris scattered throughout the dining area.
Even after the truck came to rest inside the restaurant, the danger wasn’t over. According to Jamshed, the driver’s foot remained pressed on the accelerator.
“His foot was still on the gas, and we had to open the car and remove his foot from the gas,” the restaurant owner said.
Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI
Law enforcement took the driver into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. The crash caused significant structural damage to the building, including knocking down a concrete pillar that supports the roof.
Due to the structural damage, officials ordered the closure of the dining room, which is shared with another restaurant called Little Thai House. The kitchen area, located in a separate part of the building, escaped damage and has remained operational for takeout and delivery orders.
Repairs to the building are expected to take months to complete, leaving both restaurants without their dining room space for an extended period.
Part of Growing Concern Over Impaired Driving
The Concord incident came the same day as another drunk driving tragedy in California. In Montclair, an alleged intoxicated driver struck a group of 30 cyclists on Saturday evening near Kingsley Street and Tudor Avenue, killing two people, according to the Montclair Police Department.
According to WLKY, law enforcement identified and located that driver at his home approximately one mile from the crash scene. The suspect, 38-year-old Valentin Alberto Rodriguez, was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of DUI causing injury or death, felony hit-and-run involving death, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The back-to-back incidents highlight an ongoing public safety crisis. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 32 people die every day in drunk driving crashes across the United States.
Recent Legislative Efforts
In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills aimed at curbing drunk driving instances statewide, according to ABC 7. The legislative action came amid continuing concerns about impaired driving fatalities.
The NHTSA notes that driving while impaired remains a dangerous crime, with tough enforcement of drunk-driving laws serving as a major factor in reducing fatalities since the 1980s. Charges can range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, with penalties including driver’s license revocation, fines, and jail time.
A first-time DUI offense can cost a driver upwards of $10,000 in fines and legal fees, according to the agency.
For the Concord restaurant owner and his customers, however, the focus remained on what didn’t happen. Despite the violence of the crash and the presence of multiple diners in the direct path of the speeding truck, no one sustained injuries in what Jamshed repeatedly called a miracle.
Source: www.breitbart.com โ https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/10/30/watch-suspected-drunk-driver-plows-truck-into-restaurant-narrowly-missing-diners-miraculous-nobody-got-hurt/