2 hurt when car plows into St. Paul bistro

Article by: Star Tribune
Updated: June 3, 2012 - 9:04 PM

hide

A car plowed into tables at the Finnish Bistro in St. Paul on Sunday.

Photo: Patricia Lopez, Star Tribune

Camera Star Tribune photo galleries

Camera view larger

resize text
print
buy reprints

Tweet
share

email
Email share

your name

your email

recipients email

+ add a comment add a comment

Two women were injured Sunday afternoon when a car mistakenly put into reverse gear barreled into the outdoor patio of a popular bistro in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood, witnesses and police said.

The car, driven by a 74-year-old woman from the neighborhood, plowed backwards into tables outside the Finnish Bistro at 2264 Como Av. around 1:30 p.m., said St. Paul police Cmdr. Todd Axtell.

It appeared the driver was trying to park on the street and mistakenly put the gray Cadillac into reverse, then hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, sending the car backwards through a rope and stanchions into the patio area, where about eight customers sat at tables.

Two women, ages 42 and 51, who had been sitting at an outdoor table were pinned against the shop's brick wall. They were taken to Regions Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Axtell said.

The driver and her female passenger were not hurt, Axtell said.

Finnish Bistro manager Ashley Blake said she was working inside when several people who had been in the patio area ran inside to report the crash. The rear of the car was about a foot and a half from the shop's brick wall and the victims were lying on the sidewalk, one with a broken ankle and scrapes and one apparently unconscious, she said.

JIM ADAMS AND PATRICIA LOPEZ