VICTORIA -- One person was taken to hospital Wednesday after their SUV slammed into a restaurant on Burnside Road.
The family-run establishment in Saanich, Kuku's Restaurant, is now left scrambling to find a new location following the crash.
Anita Madhar, the co-owner of Kuku’s Restaurant, was at home preparing for a busy day when she received a shocking phone call.
“They said Kuku’s was crashed into,” said Madhar. “I was screaming at my husband, ‘Go! Someone crashed into our restaurant’.”
Randy Madhar said he jumped out of the shower and rushed over to the building. When he arrived, he found a massive hole in the front of the restaurant.
“I looked at the restaurant [and] I was just blown away, I didn’t know what to do or say,” said Randy. “The whole front end is gone. That is where the front counter is, where people stand and wait.”
Randy said that staff were not inside the building at the time and arrived 10 minutes after the crash.
Saanich police tell CTV News that a woman was driving and travelling eastbound on Burnside Road when she likely experienced a medical emergency.
The vehicle was off of the road for approximately 50 metres in total, including on the sidewalk, before it crashed into the restaurant. The driver then drove back on Burnside Road and spun into a nearby 7-Eleven parking lot where the vehicle finally came to a stop.
“I was crying, I was just in shock,” said Anita. “This is a busy street in the morning. I saw them put her in the ambulance and I just wanted to go to her and give her a hug.”
Randy said that the holiday season is a very busy time for the restaurant, and on Wednesday they were catering a large lunch for BC Transit.
“Right now we do lots of catering for all the business… every Wednesday and Sunday we take food over to the homeless,” he said.
For now, the family will lean on friends who have local restaurants to try and get by until they can return back to the location, which could be some time.
Engineers assessed the building a put a support beam in place on Wednesday. Tenants living above the restaurant are expected to be able to return home tonight.
The investigation is ongoing and police say the injuries to the driver are minor.
“Neither drugs nor alcohol appears to be a factor and the driver is cooperating fully,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades, Saanich police.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact Saanich police at 250-475-4321.
