Driver choking on McDonald’s French fry crashes car into Redmond cafe; workers inside shaken but unhurt
Tracee Tuesday
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Regios Cafe, located beside The Hub Motel in Redmond, has offered breakfast, lunch and dinner in easy, casual fashion for close to 20 years – but it’s not a drive-thru.
Until Tuesday afternoon, you could say.
Redmond Fire & Rescue was called to the NW Sixth Street eatery around 2:45 p.m. after someone crashed their car into the side of the restaurant.
Andrea Renteria, whose family owns the business, said her mother was among those working at the time, when her brother called her to let her know that someone had crashed into the side of the restaurant. So she quickly drove over, and thankfully learned her mom and the workers were shaken up but okay.
She said the man told her he was choking on a McDonald’s French fry when he panicked and tried to hit the brake — but instead punched the gas, sending the car plunging forward.
It slammed into the side of the restaurant, causing damage both inside and out, including a refrigerator and door. The crash sent the crushed fridge’s items sailing far and wide: “tomato sauce over here, rice over here, our tacos over there.”
Renteria said the man had some bruises on his head and was checked out by medics at the scene, but declined an ambulance trip. Instead, he drove away with his wife, likely to get checked out.
A natural gas line also was damaged, and a Cascade Natural Gas crew was called in to shut it off for safety reasons before repairs can be made.
“We’re glad that no one got hurt,” Renteria said. “They’re a bit shaken up, but everyone’s okay.”
She said the restaurant likely will need to be closed for a few weeks for clean-up and repairs.
“So give us some time,” Renteria said. “But our love is still here. So if you guys can keep on supporting us, we’ll still be here.”
And she even found some humor in what caused the whole thing – a fast-food French fry, not anything from their restaurant’s menu.
“So you can’t blame us,” she said.