By CASEY NEILL
[ UPDATE 2/6/2016 ] Police have interviewed the driver and expect to charge her on summons with careless driving.
A learner driver with her children in the car has ploughed into three people and a shopfront on Thomas Street, Dandenong.
Two men and a woman were taken to Dandenong Hospital with minor injuries following the crash at Najimi Restaurant, which occurred about 11.40am on Tuesday 31 May.
A CFA spokesman said a 31-year-old L-plater was behind the wheel of the car when it crossed the footpath and hit the Afghan restaurant’s facade.
“She hit three pedestrians,” he said.
“One was temporarily pinned under the vehicle but was out pretty quick.
“Those pedestrians received minor injuries.”
He said none of the four people in the car suffered injuries. He said the force of the impact pushed the shopfront about 80 centimetres into the restaurant.
“The force of the impact has also nudged a freezer inside the restaurant, and that freezer has also gone on to hit someone in the restaurant,” he said.
Police were collecting statements and CCTV footage from neighbouring businesses when the Journal arrived at the scene.
Eye-witness Kamel Fakhouri gives an account of the incident:
A man said he was the driver’s husband and “she is OK, she has no problem”.
He said two of their children were in the car with her, and she was going to the butcher next door to Najimi.
Restaurant owner Qasim Najimi said two people were working inside at the time and one was taken to hospital with a sore back. There were no customers inside.
“We were lucky,” he said.
He opened the restaurant about two years ago, he said, and expected to be shut for several weeks while repairs were completed.
“I’m very sad because this is no good – not just for the business,” he said.
“I’m happy to know no injuries happened to anyone.
“The business, we lose it, but what do you do?”
Kamel Fakhouri from nearby Seasoning Cafe was standing in front of the shop just moments before the impact.
He said he felt very lucky to have escaped injury.
Fizulha Haroom was on his way to the butcher next door when he witnessed the incident.
He said the driver was upset and shaking.
Amir Najafi works next door and came outside when he heard the impact.
“I saw the car inside the shop,” he said.
He said the strip was busy at that time of day, particularly with businesspeople from the offices across the road purchasing lunch.
He said it was lucky no one was seriously injured.
