SAN DIEGO—
A suspected drunk driver barreled over a sidewalk and straight into a La Jolla restaurant Sunday evening sending three teens and a man to local hospitals, according to officials.Three teenagers were seriously injured and a man suffered minor injures when a 67-year-old man drove his Chrysler off the road and crashed into Cass Street Café and Bakery on 5500 block of La Jolla Boulevard at 7 p.m. Sunday, San Diego police Officer Dino Delimitros said.
"I just saw this guy rocket launch straight into that (electrical) box," said an eye witness who didn't want to be identified. "I watched an 11-year-old kid fly into the air, watched another kid get thrown to the side and I just watched him (the driver) barrel straight into that building."
Jake Le Beau, a Bird Rock resident, came to La Jolla Boulevard as soon as he heard sirens. He said he knows two of the teens who were injured.
"I just saw one a couple days ago at the beach and I hope they're both okay," said Le Beau.
San Diego police said a group of about five teenagers were walking along with the sidewalk when the car careened off the road.
"Two of the juveniles, as the car was coming, got out of the way three others however were less fortunate," said police Lt. David Rohowits. Traffic had to be diverted around Forward Street and La Jolla Boulevard in the Bird Rock area for several hours.
The driver was arrested at the scene and was reportedly uninjured.
Officers said the man pinned under the vehicle is expected to be okay but they described several of the teens' injuries as serious. The three teen pedestrians struck were taken to Rady Children's Hospital, with "serious injuries.'' Delimitros said they were between the ages of 14 and 17.
