Three women were hospitalized Tuesday after an SUV crashed through an El Palacio de los Jugos restaurant in southwest Miami-Dade, injuring two employees and the driver, according to restaurant representatives and authorities.
The crash happened shortly before 4 p.m. at the restaurant at 15110 SW 56th Street.
Video posted by Only in Dade shows a Honda RAV4 inside the restaurant following the crash. Employees and customers can be seen surrounding the SUV as they tried to understand what had happened. Other video from the scene shows people scrambling through the restaurant in the moments after the impact.
A spokesperson for El Palacio de los Jugos said two of the three women injured were restaurant employees. Their names and ages have not been released.
One of the injured women was transported to the trauma center at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. It is unclear which one of the three women was taken as a trauma alert.
At the last check, all three women were hospitalized in stable condition.
Carlos Martinez, a customer at the restaurant, expressed concern for the employees who were hurt.
“It hurt a couple of the workers. It’s sad. The girls here work hard,” Martinez said.
Aerial video from Chopper 4 showed the damage to the restaurant as emergency crews responded.
Authorities said the crash also caused a gas leak. The gas company was notified, and damaged equipment was removed from the property.
The incident drew concern from people who live nearby and regularly visit the restaurant, part of the popular South Florida El Palacio de los Jugos chain.
“I feel bad. I live there. This is my community,” neighbor Arturo Lozano said. “Probably someone that I know got hurt.”
By early evening, a tow truck had removed the SUV from the restaurant.
Zoe Fuentes, a regular customer, said she felt fortunate that she arrived after the crash.
“Imagine if I had been here buying food. I would have gotten killed. Poor women,” Fuentes said in Spanish.
The circumstances that caused the SUV to crash into the restaurant were not immediately clear.
The restaurant could reopen Wednesday.
Dining and Cooking