Man charged with impaired driving after car crashes into Dartmouth restaurant

A hole is seen in the wall of Sam’s Seafood & Grill restaurant in Dartmouth, N.S., after a car crashed into the building. (Jesse Thomas/CTV Atlantic)

A 21-year-old man has been charged with impaired driving following a crash in Dartmouth, N.S., over the weekend.

Halifax Regional Police responded to a report that a vehicle had crashed into Sam’s Seafood & Grill restaurant, located at 10 Gordon Ave., around 11:25 p.m. Saturday.

Police say the driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was arrested at the scene. He was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The man is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court at a later date to face charges of:

• operation of conveyance while impaired to any degree by alcohol or drugs
• operation of a conveyance while impaired by alcohol over 80mg

‘They had to use the Jaws of Life’

Sam Sotiropoulos, who owns the restaurant, says the area of the building the vehicle crashed into is mainly used for storage.

He told CTV Atlantic police were in pursuit of a suspected drunk driver, which ended with the driver smashing through his restaurant wall.

By the time Sotiropoulos arrived, he said the driver was already handcuffed and in the back of a Halifax Regional Police cruiser.

Firefighters had to help the driver who was trapped in the wreckage.

“They had to use the Jaws of Life to get him out,” said Sotiropoulos.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jesse Thomas.

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