FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — Five people were injured after an SUV plowed through Baba Boudan’s Espresso Café Friday (March 22) in Fayetteville.
One man who runs a food truck next door said that when he heard the crash he knew he needed to help.
“I got there, the truck was totally in the building. I ran in and started helping dig out people,” Randal Hendon said. “There was one lady laying down and there was a bunch of debris on her. So we got her dug out and freed up. We didn’t really see anyone else buried, but a lot of chaos everywhere.”
Hendon said there were steel barriers in front of the store, but the driver crashed through them.
“Seemed like the young man was traveling fast and when it hit it went through the building,” Hendon said. “I knew there were steel barriers in front of that building and he plowed right through all of that.”
The driver of the vehicle was an unlicensed teen. Authorities said they believe an accident a few yards up College Avenue caused the driver to lose control of the car, sending it into the coffee shop.
Hendon said the damage to the building was severe and that repairs would be extensive.
“For these folks, it's going to take them a little while because their building is demolished inside and out. So it’s going to be a lot of reconstruction going on there for them,” Hendon said.