A Castro Street restaurant sustained considerable damage, and a neighboring parklet was destroyed when a driver crashed into them early Sunday morning then fled the scene.
The crash occurred around 1:45 am Sunday when the driver veered off Castro Street and demolished a parklet owned by Castro Indian Restaurant and Bar, then smashed into the front wall of the next-door business, Café Mystique, on Castro near 18th streets, as Hoodline and ABC 7 report.
The driver was captured on surveillance video allegedly speeding down the street before crashing into the cafe and parklet. The driver, who authorities say may have been intoxicated, gets out and wobbles away. He can then be seen on surveillance footage captured by a second camera running down Castro toward 18th Street.
“Everything was destroyed: my neighbor's wall, tables, chairs,” said Ajay Khadka, owner of Castro Indian Restaurant and Bar, speaking to ABC 7. Khadka estimates the damage to be about $20,000, according to KPIX.
Café Mystique sustained structural damage and was forced to close for breakfast Sunday morning.
“Castro Street is busy during that time. Bars are full,” said Café Mystique manager Narmela Khordins, speaking to ABC 7. “People are walking on the sidewalk. He could have killed anybody.”
Both businesses were reportedly back open Sunday evening, as repairs were already underway on Café Mystique's front exterior wall. Castro Indian Restaurant and Bar's parklet was also being rebuilt Sunday.
San Francisco Police officers are searching for the suspect, and his car was impounded as part of the investigation.
“This is a busy time, usually, [when] nightlife is closing down,” Lt. Mariano Elias, Jr. of the San Francisco Fire Department, told KPIX. “That's when this happened, and the car, from the looks of it, came at a high rate of speed based on the surveillance footage.”
Anyone with information may contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text "TIP411," beginning with “SFPD.”
Image: Tony K./Google Maps
