Community Corner

80-Year-Old Man Takes 'Drive Through' Wendy's Restaurant

The elderly driver accidentally put his car in drive and plowed through the lobby doors of a Wendy's in Carroll County.

Customers at the Wendy’s restaurant located at 4424 North Woods Trail in Hampstead were surprised Friday morning when a vehicle came crashing through the doors of the restaurant and halted in the dining area.

WBAL-TV reports that several customers and employees were in the dining area when the car plowed through the side of the building, but no one was seriously injured.

“I heard a big bang,” Wendy’s employee Sarah Richardson told WBAL. “I turned around and looked and saw his car come right through our building. I was terrified, scared and shaking, but the first thing I asked everyone in the building was if they were OK.”

Police reported that one woman who was standing in line at the time jumped over a booth to avoid the vehicle, but she was OK, according to WBAL.

The TV station reported that a deputy sitting in the parking lot witnessed the accident.

The car had apparently pulled forward at first and likely hit the curb. The driver, an 80-year-old regular patron of the restaurant, pulled back about halfway into the parking lot and according to Hampstead Police Officer Clint Thorn, he “must’ve gunned the gas, spun out a little bit and went forward” crashing through both walls of the building.

Police reported that the crash was purely an accident and there was no indication of any alcohol or drugs in his system.

“Nothing like this happens much in Hampstead,” resident Jerry Reese told the TV station when he went to see what the commotion was about. “This is the worst accident I’ve seen for a while.”

The driver, who has yet to be named, was charged with negligent driving.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eldersburg