The tenants of a New Jersey strip mall are calling for the installation of higher curbs or concrete barriers after a car crashed into a take-out restaurant on March 3. The strip mall, which is located on Water Street in Red Bank, has been the site of this type of incident on several previous occasions, and store owners say that it is only a matter of time before a patron or employee is seriously injured.
According to authorities in Monmouth County, the car accident occurred shortly before noon when a vehicle crashed through the front of the establishment and struck a counter. Fortunately, there was only one customer inside the restaurant at the time, and he later told reporters how he managed to avoid being seriously hurt by leaping out of the way of the oncoming vehicle at the last moment. Police say that no charges have been filed against the driver.
The restaurant patron suffered a leg injury after being pinned under the granite counter, and a restaurant employee suffered a hand injury. Both declined medical treatment. The driver, a 71-year-old Holmdel woman, escaped the accident without injury. Representatives of the Red Bank Fire Department are said to have consulted with the strip mall’s owners regarding safety measures that could be taken to prevent similar accidents in the future.
While some accidents may be unavoidable, others are caused by negligent behavior. A personal injury attorney may file a lawsuit on behalf of accident victims against reckless, impaired or distracted drivers, and they could also pursue civil sanctions against property owners when they have failed to adequately address a known hazard. This kind of litigation may seek compensation for an accident victim’s medical and other expenses as well as their lost income and property damage.
Source: CBS New York, “2 Hurt When Car Slams Into Restaurant In Red Bank, N.J.,” March 3, 2015
Source: NJ.com, “2 injured after car crashes through Red Bank eatery, police say,” Rob Spahr, March 3, 2015
