The Arlington County police on Thursday said it appears that the driver of a car that crashed into a Courthouse-area restaurant last month had a medical emergency before the crash.
The ride-share driver crashed into the Ireland’s Four Courts restaurant and bar, on Wilson Boulevard, at about 6:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12. The car then caught fire; at least 15 people were hurt and nine were sent to a hospital, police said at the time.
“Undoubtedly, the decisive actions of the arriving officers to run directly into the building and remove patrons saved lives,” Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn said in a statement at the time.
The police added that the last injured person has been released from the hospital, but they didn’t know exactly when that had happened.
Detectives had already said they didn’t think the crash was intentional, nor did they think alcohol was a contributing factor. The driver has complied with the investigation, the police said.
Dave Cahill, of Ireland’s Four Courts, told WTOP he’s waiting for Uber to finish its investigation before the restaurant can begin demolition and start rebuilding.
He said other restaurants have helped out by hiring Four Courts workers, who also have gotten six weeks’ pay from an online fund.
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.