A pickup truck crashed into the Tim Hortons at Highway 33 and Hollywood Road in Kelowna around 10 p.m., on Monday night.
“I saw him coming through the drive-thru, and then I looked up, and he was coming up over the curb and right through the front doors,” said witness Jenny Dewar, adding she was outside of the building at the time of the 9:40 p.m. incident.
The vehicle then erupted in flames, which spread to a neighbouring car.
A man ran to try to get the driver out of the truck, but he couldn’t open the door, Dewar said.
“He was out cold in the driver’s seat,” she added, stating the trucking was travelling at a steady pace when it smashed into the building.
Dewar noted that the truck’s engine was revving loudly after it came to a stop, which is when the fire started.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze.
The truck driver had minor injuries, but nobody inside the building was physically hurt, Platoon Capt. Kelly Stephens said.
“Three to four workers were inside, and possibly three customers. Everyone got out safely,” he said.
Stephens said a lot of smoke from the fire filled the building and the surrounding area.
Another witness, Shauna Fagan, said she was sitting across the street at a nearby McDonald’s eating, when the incident unfolded.
“I (saw) him hitting the garbage cans and then just literally going right into the actual Tim Hortons restaurant,” said Fagan.
“At that point, I did see some flames initially, and 10 minutes later, I actually heard the gas tank blow up as I was in the parking lot over here.”
Kelowna RCMP told Global News on Tuesday that two witnesses assisted in removing the driver, a 32-year-old Kelowna man, while one person inside the restaurant suffered minor injuries.
Police added that the driver was transported to hospital for assessment.
They said the collision is still under investigation, and that impairment has not been ruled out as a factor in the incident.
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