BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Talk about fast takeout!
The roadside dining shed outside Frank restaurant in the East Village got totally taken out by a vehicle crash early Monday morning.
Luckily, it happened at a time when the shed was not in use, or it might have been a deadly catastrophe.
The Italian eatery, at 88 Second Ave., is located right around the corner from the Ninth Precinct.
According to police, the crash happened at 6:09 a.m. A police spokesperson said a driver in an unknown vehicle heading southbound on Second Avenue struck a blue Tesla, lost control and careened into the open-air “streetery” structure.
The unknown vehicle fled the scene heading southbound. The Tesla driver was taken to Bellevue Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Photos by Stuart Zamsky, president of the E. Fifth Street Block Association, clearly show tire tread marks at the site. He also shared a photo of a damaged blue Revel electric app-hail car being loaded onto a flatbed tow truck.
The police spokesperson said there is an “open report” for the incident and that officers will review camera footage to try to track down the driver that crashed into the dining hut.
A worker at Frank, asked if they would rebuild the curbside yurt, said, “Not entirely sure.”
We should get rid of the sidewalks while we’re at it. Inevitable that someone will lose control of their truck and jump the curb. Roll em up before someone gets hurt!
This shed was in the street not on the sidewalk; consequently, it was a prime target for a careless driver.
Glad no one was injured but am shocked more of these sheds haven’t been hit. Get rid of them already. Ridiculous demonstration of NYC’s politicians letting perfect be the enemy of good. They were supposed to be temporary. Please go down East 8th Street and take out a few that are glued together and preventing proper drainage and cleaning – the bar, Analogue has to be the worst offender.
How about we get rid of the awful drivers?
Agree, but good luck! NYPD does not patrol for traffic violations, speeding, etc. Their defeatist excuse is that “it would be dangerous” to pull someone over…or would lead to a high-speed pursuit within the city. They wouldn’t even ticket a motorcycle with obscured plates that was parked on my sidewalk last week!
Based on approx. 1,000 observations on the road these last few years, I’d say somewhere between 5-10% of cars in NYC are illegal. Pathetic enforcement. Plate scanners at tolls should be able to say immediately that a plate wasn’t read, that info should be automatically communicated to law enforcement waiting at nearby tolls, and these thieves should be pulled over, have their car impounded, and be fined $2,000 or more. That will put an end to it quickly. They are stealing from us and causing us to pay more.
Frank has already extended an enclosed shed onto the sidewalk at the front of the restaurant, which is probably illegal. This restaurant definitely does not need another shed to clutter up our community.
Sad but inevitable end to this dining shed. Yes, luckily, the shed wasn’t occupied and that the Tesla driver struck by runaway vehicle suffered only minor injuries.