CHILLING MOMENT Car ploughs into packed Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney’s southwest, leaving woman fighting for breath and diners in shock
- A 45-year-old woman was struck by the out-of-control vehicle and left unable to move
- The Suzuki Swift crashed through the Campbelltown restaurant during dinner time, sending patrons running for cover
- The 78-year-old driver, a regular customer, was left shaken but uninjured, while the restaurant faces a Christmas closure for repairs
In a shocking incident that has left the community reeling, a car careered out of control into a bustling Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney’s southwest, striking a woman and sending diners into a panic.
On Saturday evening, as patrons enjoyed their meals, a Suzuki Swift suddenly smashed through the front of the Campbelltown eatery, knocking a 45-year-old woman to the ground. The victim, who was walking past the restaurant, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
“She was face down, and she couldn’t move,” a visibly shaken restaurant owner, Jenny Hua, told 7NEWS. “I saw a car, I saw glass everywhere, I could see a little boy crying and I quickly switched off the camera. I tried to help everyone out, I was really shocked.”
Miraculously, no diners were in the car’s direct path when it crashed through the restaurant, but the scene was one of utter chaos. Jono McManus, a worker at the adjacent Domino’s, witnessed the horror unfold.
“She’s absolutely floored it through the car park. As someone was reversing, she must have locked the wheel all the way left, hit a car parked right there and just lost it into the shops,” he recalled.
The 78-year-old driver, a regular customer at the restaurant, was left shaken but escaped without injury. Staff described her as “extremely apologetic” about the incident.
The restaurant will now remain closed for repairs over Christmas, with significant damage to assess. “We’ll be closed for a while, I think it’s big damage. We’ve got to contact insurance on Monday and see what they can do. Yeah, just luckily nobody was hurt,” Hua said, still reeling from the close call.