A Ford City police officer inspects damage in Saturday evening’s crash into the Nite Courts building on Main Street.
A pickup truck ran into the front of the Nite Courts bar and restaurant building early Saturday evening.
According to the driver, Zach Porter, 27, from Ford City, the front right wheel of the Ford F-150 came off.
“You can see where it came off over by the pole,” he said. “Something popped off in the front. I felt the whole truck drop down, then it pulled me to the right. There was no way around it.”
The impact smashed the right side of the vehicle, breaking out the side passenger window and the front right corner of the truck.
Porter said there were no passengers and, although he was shaken up, he wasn’t injured in the crash.
The business, located at 403 Main Street, Ford City, incurred damage to several outside air conditioning units as well as general landscaping.
The Ford City Police in addition to the Ford City Fire Department responded to the 9-1-1 dispatch at 6:32 PM.
Nite Courts manager Jennifer Weight said that there was minor structural damage, but the restaurant continued in operation during and after the crash.
“It hasn’t affected our business,” she said during a telephone interview late Saturday night. “We are up and running as usual.”
Weight said the owners will deal with the insurance companies on Monday to determine the next course of action for repairs to the facility.
“We are just glad that no one was hurt. It could have been much worse. Things can be replaced but not people,” she said.
West Penn Power was called to inspect the utility pole, although there was no damage to it. Mike’s Towing placed the vehicle on their flatbed and transported it from the scene.
Driver Zach Porter said the truck veered to the right when its right front wheel tire came off, causing the vehicle to hit two air conditioning units in a landscaped portion of the Nite Courts bar and restaurant.