TEMPLE, Texas — Selami Metaliaj owns Joes Pizza and Pasta in Temple.
He was working Monday evening when he heard what he thought was a big crash on the street.
”I just go outside through the back door,” said Metaliaj. “I think 'maybe there's an accident on the road and trying to help somebody' and I didn’t see anything. When I come, I see the car inside the dining area.”
Metaliaj said the driver stepped on the gas instead of the break when parking.
Pushing the vehicle through steel railings, planter boxes and a table before smashing through the glass store front where minutes before several tables were full of people.
”Six, seven tables inside, or more. Maybe 20, 25 people,” Metaliaj said.
Luckily, they were gone, but a woman sitting feet away from the window was struck by either the car or breaking glass.
Metaliaj and his wife quickly sprang into action until paramedics arrived.
”On her face, she was bleeding bad,” said Metaliaj. “She was saying, 'I cannot see, I cannot see'. My wife was holding her hand and me, with napkins, trying to clean the blood off. Her eye was okay.”
That customer later left a note the owner plans to frame that partly reads, “Thank you so much for taking care of me. I am fine except for nine stitches.”
Metaliaj said it’s a miracle nobody was killed.
”It’s lucky,” he said. “For the damage, this I can replace easily. It's not going to be a big problem you know. Glass is going to come but first, everybody is fine. That's—I'm lucky.”
Metaliaj said the woman that was injured is now part of his family and he plans on reaching out to offer any help he can to make sure she’s taken care of.
No other injuries were reported and no arrests were made.
