Three people were suffered serious injuries Monday after a car crashed into another vehicle, sending it into a restaurant in the Bronx, officials said.
"The two guys were like really helpless," a witness said. "They couldn't move, so they had to cut the car to get them out," she explained, describing first responders using the Jaws of Life to extract two men from inside the car that was sent into the restaurant.
The gold-colored Mercedes slammed into a red SUV at the intersection of Morris Park and Bronxdale Avenue in Morris Park just after noon on Monday. The force of the impact sent the SUV into an Italian restaurant, 900 Park. The restaurant was closed at the time.
Witnesses said the driver of the Mercedes appeared to run a red light.
The three people who were seriously hurt were taken to a local hospital, city fire department officials said. A fourth person is being treated, but is expected to be okay.
The crash caused serious damage to the building, and left the road littered with debris and broken glass.
Sources said city investigators examined the building's structural integrity but said it isn't in danger of collapsing.
Sources also said investigators found damage to one of the staircases, and that the building owner reached out to a contractor to conduct repairs.
In 2015, just two blocks away, three people were killed and four people were injured when a car crashed into a group of children trick-or-treating on Halloween. One of those killed was a ten-year-old girl.
Image above of the car that was hit courtesy Annette Deen.