A car slammed into a McDonald's in the Soundview section of the Bronx, crashing through the wall and coming to rest just inches from the drive-thru window. The vehicle, a Honda Accord, ended up lifted off the ground after the impact, leaving behind a scene that stunned onlookers. The restaurant sits just off the Bruckner Expressway, near Morrison Avenue.
According to police, the crash happened around noon, in the middle of the busy lunch hour. That timing meant the restaurant was active, with customers inside and others moving through the drive-thru when the car came barreling in. A crowd quickly gathered outside, many of them simply amazed at what they were seeing.
Despite the force of the impact, officials said no one was injured. The car stopped only inches from the drive-thru window, a small margin that appears to have prevented the crash from turning into something far worse for anyone standing nearby.
One of the closest calls involved a customer at the pickup window. By one account, a woman had just collected her food at the drive-thru when the car struck, but she was not hit and made no contact with the vehicle. For those watching, it was a reminder of how quickly an ordinary lunch run could have turned dangerous.
Rather than stay at the scene, the people in the car fled. After smashing into the building, the driver and a passenger ran away on foot, leaving the Honda behind. As of the latest information, no arrests had been made, and the investigation into the crash remained underway.
With the car lodged against the structure, the city's Department of Buildings was called in to assess the stability and safety of the McDonald's itself. Inspectors were on the scene to determine whether the impact had compromised the building, even as police continued to look into how the crash happened and who was behind the wheel.