Car crashes through Seattle restaurant

A car crashed into the front of a restaurant in North Seattle, minutes before it would have been crowded with customers.

The impact caused structural damage to the restaurant. The Mazda crashed into the Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar at 13510 Aurora Ave N., near Sam’s Club and a short drive from the Seattle-Shoreline border.

The crash happened about 11:15 a.m. Friday.

The restaurant was getting ready to open at 11:30am for lunch. Owner Samson Ghanna got a frantic phone call about the crash. There was one worker inside, but she was in the back of the restaurant and was not hurt.

“It was as if she felt a bomb was bursting,” Ghanna said.

He told KIRO 7 he had to two large groups with reservations for dinner Friday night, 32 people in all. He’s thankful the crash didn’t happen with his restaurant was full of customers.

The car was completely into the restaurant. The driver of the car, a man in his 30s, told investigators he accidentally hit the gas instead of the break. He had a minor injury.

His car was pulled from the restaurant and he went with the two truck driver. The car smashed through the glass window, knocked out the door and crushed the tables.

Ghanna said he has insurance but he is worried about being closed this weekend and how long the repairs will take.

The Gojo restaurant is part of the Aurora Corner Shopping Center, built in 1987.

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