ASHTABULA, Ohio — A late-night crash sent a vehicle into a restaurant and sparked a fire early Friday, killing the driver and leaving a local business damaged.
Witnesses say the crash happened around 3 a.m. at The Crow's Nest Restaurant and Lounge.
“The initial call that we got was there was a car… and a tree on fire at the Crow's Nest. I’m trying to think where the hell’s there a tree and a car,” Ron Detore says.
Nearby resident Shawn Watson said he saw flames from his home.
“I looked out the window and saw a big fire out here,” he said.
Watson, who also works at the restaurant, said he and his brother, Jordan, were awakened by the sound of the crash.
“I heard what sounded like lightning because it’s been raining the past couple of days,” Jordan said.
They called 911 and alerted the restaurant’s owners.
“So I answer it, and he says the Crow's Nest is on fire, and I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” said RJ Detore, the restaurant’s general manager and the owner’s son.
When Detore arrived, he saw smoke and went inside to find the source of the fire.
“I ran out the side of the door where I see the guy on the ground and the car just engulfed in flames,” he said.
Investigators say the vehicle traveled through an intersection on Route 11 south, went over a concrete barrier, became airborne and crashed between two buildings and into the restaurant.
The crash killed 52-year-old John Yerkey of Salem, Ohio, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. He was not wearing a seat belt. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and a coroner is conducting an autopsy and toxicology report.
Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames, according to Ashtabula City Fire officials.
Detore credited employees with acting quickly.
“Anytime something’s going on, something suspicious, something’s not right I can count on Shawn to call me and let me know what’s going on,” he said.
The restaurant remained closed on Friday, but community members stopped by throughout the day to check in.
Detore said he hopes to reopen within two weeks.
“I got great people who work for us that will come in and get this place cleaned up in two days,” he said.
For now, crews are focused on cleaning up the damage left behind.
