Car crashes into East Haven restaurant, serious injuries reported, officials say

EAST HAVEN — A car crashed into an East Haven restaurant early Friday, and a person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to the Fire Department. East Haven fire and police personnel were called to Hot Roostah Restaurant, a Jamaican eatery on Foxon Road, around 5:25 a.m. At the scene, first responders found a white SUV embedded into the side of the building and the driver still trapped inside, said East Haven police Capt. Joseph Murgo. The preliminary investigation suggests the driver had just completed an overnight shift and fell asleep behind the wheel, according to Murgo. “It appears that he lost control of his vehicle, struck a street sign and a telephone pole which catapulted him into the unoccupied building,” Murgo said. He noted police do not believe intoxication is a factor in the crash. The driver reportedly was conscious but “heavily entrapped in the vehicle with serious injuries” when first responders arrived, according to East Haven Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli. Marcarelli said firefighters had to stabilize the vehicle and used the Jaws of Life, a hydraulic rescue tool, to extricate the person. The extrication took about 15 minutes and the person was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital. Murgo said the driver’s injuries were not life-threatening. The building was severely damaged, according to Marcarelli, and the restaurant is temporarily closed due to structural safety concerns. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call East Haven police at 203-468-3820. Video evidence can also be sent to police online by going to https://easthavenpdct.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/carvsbuilding.