Stuck accelerator blamed for van's encounter with restaurant wall

At 9:20 Thursday morning, Nella Tucker of Lodgepole pulled into the Sidney Perkins parking lot. As she did so, the accelerator reportedly stuck on her 2008 Kia Sedona mini van, sending her vehicle hard into the restaurant's wall, according to Police Chief Joe Aikens.

The incident resulted in a sizable dent in the side of the building, causing insulation to spill out into the interior of the restaurant. Approximately $6000 worth of damage was done to the building. The vehicle received about $2000 in damage.

Police were called and the restaurant was shut down while an inspector ensured the safety of the building. The inspector confirmed that no structural damage occurred, so Perkins could get back in business.

"It's safe to occupy," said Jeff Finley of Finley Construction LLC. "It's just a little bit of cosmetic damage."

Finley examined the wall with the city inspector and later worked to repair the damage.

"It was an unfortunate car accident," said Julie Roettger the Vice President of Northcott Hospitality which owns the Sidney Perkins.

The building reopened at noon.

A mechanic will check the mini van involved in the crash to make sure that the vehicle isn't defective and to ensure the accelerator doesn't stick again.

No one was hurt in the accident.

"I'm sure there were people in there eating, but no injuries were reported," Aikens said.

Aikens said he's seen this type of accident a few times in the past and it's usually caused by a stuck accelerator or a car that was accidentally left in gear.