LYNNFIELD, Mass. — A Lynnfield teen was arrested after Massachusetts State Police say he crashed a car through a restaurant while under the influence early Sunday morning.
[ Teen charged after crashing into Lynnfield restaurant ]
Benjamin Robert Pimentel, 19, was evaluated by paramedics at the scene before being charged with operating under the influence, failure to stop, and negligent operation, among other charges.
The car smashed through a side wall of School Street Foods shortly before 1:30 a.m., coming inches from the gas line and winding up in the dining area.
“If people were eating in the dining room, there would’ve been fatalities,” said Gina Goodwin, co-owner of the Lynnfield restaurant. “It’s awful, it’s devastating. We’ve all been up all night. I got the call from the Lynnfield Police at 1:30, initially.”
State Police say minutes before the crash, Pimentel was driving erratically and failed to stop for a trooper who was conducting a “planned saturation patrol” on Route 1 to address several incidents of dangerous driving in the area in recent weeks.
The car later crashed through a sign and then a fence before busting through the wall of the restaurant.
Along with extensive damage to the building, equipment was destroyed and thousands of dollars in food was ruined, said Goodwin, who owns the business with her husband as well as Javi Baez, who doubles as head chef.
The Salem Street restaurant holds regular charity fundraisers and is beloved in the community. Just hours before the crash, the owners had celebrated the grand opening of their second location in Methuen.
The business is known for its Latin American dishes served up Baez, known as “The Pastelito King,” who sold food out of his car until realizing his dream of opening the shop.
“Smelled like smoke and debris and rubber, and it was a sight, honestly,” Baez said of the arriving at the restaurant at 3 a.m. “It really broke my heart, because we put so much time and energy into this place – blood, sweat and tears – and to see this all broken in literally a second.”
As the owners wait to learn the extent of the structural damage, they say they feel blessed.
“We’re very grateful nobody was hurt,” Gina Goodwin said. “We’re grateful the driver was not injured.”
While they are angry with the driver, they are also hopeful.
“To just know that this kid probably made the biggest dumbest mistake of his life,” Ed Goodwin said, “we all hope the kid learns from this.”
The owners say they are determined to keep all their staff employed by moving them to their new Methuen location and opening that shop seven days a week, instead of five.
A community member started a GoFundMe account to help support School Street Foods (Fundraiser by Monica Marcano : Help Keep School Street Foods Alive). Within hours of the campaign, more than $4,000 had been raised.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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