Driver Crashes Restaurant's Happy Hour — Literally

WASHINGTON, DC — Le Chat Noir, the Wisconsin Avenue French bistro, had an unwanted guest crash its happy hour — literally. A white vehicle drove through the eatery's front window Thursday night and came to a rest in its dining area.

"Apparently, the lady said she lost control of her car, as well as her speed, and she just goes through the restaurant and the patio. We have a patio in the front," said Hassam Meige, manager at Le Chat Noir. "It was just like a movie. There were some people around on the left and the right, but nobody got injured."

On Thursday, Feb. 27, at 6:32 p.m., D.C. Fire and EMS responded to the report of a vehicle crashing into the restaurant, which located at 4907 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.

"When we arrived, we found a single vehicle that had got into the dining area of a restaurant," said Vito Maggiolo, D.C. Fire and EMS public information officer. "The driver was removed from the vehicle, assessed for any injuries and declined further medical treatment. No other injuries were reported, despite that the front dining area suffered quite a bit of damage."

Emergency personnel evacuated the restaurant as a precaution, while firefighters did an initial inspection of the building, according to Maggiolo. They determined the crash had not damaged the building's structural integrity.

"The damage, although it looks considerable, was cosmetic in nature," he said, adding D.C. Fire and EMS requested the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs conduct a full inspection.

As of Friday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m, the Metropolitan Police Department has not charged the driver of the vehicle with any offense.

According to Meige, the La Chat Noir will remain closed for repairs for the time being and may reopen next week.