Truck crashes into Lihue restaurant

LIHUE — No injuries were reported after a truck crashed into the Tip Top Cafe in Lihue Friday afternoon.

Shortly before 4 p.m., a white Ford pickup truck was southbound on Akahi Street in Lihue when it turned into a parking stall fronting the Tip Top Cafe and crashed into the building.

“Thank goodness we were closed when it happened,” said Jonathan Ota, Tip Top general manager. “No one was inside the building. We were worried about the driver of the truck. She was pretty shaken up by what happened, but suffered no physical injury.”

The driver of the truck, a 56-year-old Omao woman, was assisted out of her vehicle by police and firefighters responding to the scene. She did not report any injuries from the collision.

“We saw the truck coming on the street,” Ota said. “It kind of made a turn, and then, it was inside the building. We heard the tires screeching. It was fortunate no one was hurt.”

Damages to the exterior and interior of the restaurant and the front of the vehicle were reported.

No arrests were made nor citations issued.

Ota said the restaurant was closed for dinner Friday night and all day Saturday while repair work to secure the building was done.

“We plan to open Sunday,” Ota said.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.