Hit-And-Run Driver At Large After Crash Into Hawaiian Gardens Restaurant Injures 3
HAWAIIAN GARDENS (CBSLA) — Customers looking for a breakfast burrito Friday instead found a gaping hole in the wall of a popular Mexican restaurant in Hawaiian Gardens.
Don Ruben's Mexican Grill was closed and draped with caution tape the morning after a truck crashed into the restaurant's kitchen at about 7:45 p.m. Thursday.
The impact of the crash splashed oil on three employees. Two women were seriously burned and were taken to the hospital.
"Every time I come, there's two ladies back there flipping those burritos, you know, and I feel sorry for them," customer Scott Yamaguchi said.
The crash also severed a gas line, prompting police to shut down Carson Street while the line was repaired.
The shaken owner did not want to go on camera, but did confirm the women would be OK. David Pech says the owner started out working behind the counter with his mother, and ended up running the business. The food and the prices are good, as are the people who work at the restaurant, he said.
"I feel really bad for the people here. All the people works here in the restaurant, they're really friendly," Pech said.
The driver of the truck took off after the crash and remains at large. Police say the truck was not reported stolen, so investigators are hoping the registration will point them to the hit-and-run driver.
