A car crashed into Dim Sum King on South Jackson Street in Seattle just before 2pm Thursday. It burst through the restaurant’s glass front and landed completely inside the dining area.
The crash hurt at least seven people, according to Seattle Police. As of Thursday night, Harborview Medical Center said two patients were still in critical condition.
Police said the driver was trying to park when the vehicle zoomed over the sidewalk while going in reverse. A witness said the car was across the street on Jackson when it suddenly started going backwards, crossed the street, then smashed into the restaurant.
Surveillance video shows customers were at the checkout and at the front of the restaurant when the car shattered the glass front window and slammed into customers and the counter.
One angle shows a man who gets clipped by the car going airborne, but he scrambled up to help – moving chairs to reach and assist those more hurt. Another angle shows a woman crawling out from under the tail of the car.
Amy Eng owns Dim Sum King with her husband. She said five customers and two cashiers were in the dining area of the store when the crash happened.
Talking about her customers, she teared up.
“I hope my customers, everything ok. I’m really upset,” Eng said. In Chinese she added that one of her employees also got hurt after the debris shoved a dim sum cart into the employee’s leg. She had to go to the hospital but has since been released.
Eng said the crash broke much of their equipment, smashed up every single table, many of their chairs, and left a gash in the wall on the opposite side of their small restaurant. The crash completely took out their storefront.
Dim Sum King said they’ve already struggled during the pandemic. Then, the restaurant was among those smashed up by protestors in the Chinatown-International District in June. Now a crash that appears accidental has destroyed a large portion of the restaurant.
“It happened so quick, it was shocking to see,” said Tom Crowell, who was outside when the crash happened and saw it all unfold.
Crowell said he saw the Toyota Camry in a parking spot across the street when the driver suddenly went into reverse before it “literally just disappeared right into the dim sum store,” he said.
“I just saw people just flying around inside the restaurant, just scrambling trying to get out of the way,” Crowell said.
Video from people in the area shows multiple people getting carried away in stretchers. Surveillance video showed the driver of the Camry was an older woman, who was able to walk out of the vehicle.
“I’m really sad,” Eng said.
Seattle Fire said the building’s structural integrity was not compromised. Dim Sum King’s owners hope to reopen as soon as possible.
Cox Media Group
