Driver crashes into Olive Garden in Newington, sending diner to hospital
NEWINGTON — An Olive Garden diner was treated and released from Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester on Sunday after a car struck the Italian restaurant near his table, according to police.
Police, firefighters and medics from Newington responded to the crash on Woodbury Avenue on Sunday afternoon, finding a car had driven into a corner on the front of the building, smashing a window and damaging a truss.
Newington Police Chief Michael Bolideau said responding officers determined the collision was an accident, finding the driver, a 66-year-old Dover woman, hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. The driver, who was not found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, was uninjured and was not charged with a crime, the chief said.
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Her car was damaged and towed. The driver was evaluated for injuries but was not transported.
“She hit the far right side of the front of the building, which is the north section of the building,” he said.
Sitting near the shattered window was a table of multiple patrons. The man who was sent to the hospital had glass fragments in his eye as a result of the crash, the chief said.
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Bilodeau said the restaurant stayed open after the incident and was being repaired Monday.
Olive Garden, which is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, reports having over 800 locations and more than 96,000 employees.
The Italian restaurant is located at 2048 Woodbury Ave. near the Mall at Fox Run.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Driver crashes into Olive Garden in Newington NH
