PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A man was arrested on a charge of DUI after deputies say he crashed a BMW into a Pinellas County Waffle House restaurant early Thursday morning.
It happened just after 1 a.m. at the Waffle House located on Starkey Road in Seminole.
Pinellas County deputies say a man driving a white 2003 BMW 325i crashed into the north side of the Waffle House restaurant causing significant damage to the vehicle and the restaurant.
The restaurant was evacuated, and despite several employees and customers being inside at the time of the crash, no one was injured.
Deputies arrested Isaias Garcia, 45, of Seminole on a charge of DUI with property damage.
Witnesses told investigators “Garcia was driving the BMW southbound through the parking lot when he crashed into the north side of the restaurant.”
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies told News Channel 8 in a statement that Garcia “showed signs of impairment by having bloodshot, glassy, and watery eyes and a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath when he spoke.”
“Deputies say Garcia refused to perform a Field Sobriety Test but submitted a breath sample that indicated he had a BrAC of .165/.158.”
The legal limit in Florida is .08, about half those amounts.
As of Thursday morning, the power and gas was off inside the restaurant as a safety precaution, and the restaurant was closed for business.
A regional manager for Waffle House had several contractors working on a new Waffle House construction in Hudson come to the restaurant to patch up the wall and clean for now.
Permanent repairs will be made within the next two weeks.
The regional manager, Steve Wave, said he hopes to reopen the restaurant later today, subject to approval from the county inspector.
