Driver crashes into Studio City sushi restaurant and disappears | World News

Law enforcement authorities are looking for a driver who crashed into a popular Japanese sushi restaurant in Studio City, Los Angeles, before fleeing the scene on foot.

The severe crash occurred Thursday afternoon and caused significant damage to the facility.

Emergency responders, including the Los Angeles Fire Department, were called to Akira Sushi on Ventura Boulevard around 1:35 p.m. local time after reports of a vehicle collision. Upon arrival, they found a white Alfa Romeo parked inside the restaurant, but the driver was missing.

CCTV footage showed the Alfa Romeo veering off the road after brushing past another vehicle. It then collided with a third car before crashing through the restaurant’s front window. Debris could be seen flying inside the restaurant as cars drove by.

LAPD officers classified the incident as a hit-and-run after the driver fled on foot with a dog in tow. Unfortunately, no further details about the suspect have been disclosed at this time.

Witnesses at the scene described a chaotic scene. One witness, Odalis Alvarez, described seeing a man bleeding from the head and wearing an ankle monitor. The driver allegedly ran around the car to retrieve his dog before frantically leaving the scene.

“He said he needed to call his wife because he had just been in a car accident,” Alvarez said, emphasizing the driver’s distressed state.

Another witness tried to run after the apparently injured driver. They were unable to keep up because the suspect got into a nearby taxi shortly after leaving the crash site.

Urban search and rescue specialists from the Los Angeles Fire Department were called in to assist in the extraction of vehicles from the damaged building.

LAFD representative Nicholas Prange confirmed their involvement in the operation.

Building and safety officials are currently assessing the restaurant’s structural integrity following the incident.

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Fortunately, no one was injured, as the shop was empty except for the head chef who was working in the kitchen at the time of the collision.

The circumstances leading up to the crash remain unclear and police continue to search for the driver involved in the hit-and-run incident.

The investigation is ongoing and an update will be provided as more information is gathered.

Theme source: KTLA 5