1 dead, 4 injured when vehicle hits people outside Matlacha restaurant, FHP says
One woman died and four others were injured when a vehicle struck people seated outside a Matlacha restaurant Saturday, authorities said.
Emergency crews and law enforcement at 5:50 p.m. responded to 4590 Pine Island Road NW, That BBQ Place, for reports of multiple people struck.
Here's what to know about crash Saturday
Florida Highway Patrol troopers reported Sunday morning in a news release:
A 24-year-old Cape Coral man was driving a vehicle east on Pine Island Road Northwest, south of Island Avenue. A motorcycle was parked and unoccupied at That BBQ Place. (FHP in its original release said the incident took place across the street, at 4597 Pine Island Road NW, Blue Dog Bar & Grill, but corrected it Sunday afternoon.)
At the same time, a pickup was traveling west on Pine Island Road Northwest, north of Island Avenue. Five patrons were sitting outside at tables outside That BBQ Place when the vehicle the 24-year-old was driving left the roadway, entering the north gravel shoulder, striking a no-parking sign and wooden decorative post.
That vehicle continued forward, entering the outside seating area of That BBQ Place and hitting the five people and the motorcycle. The vehicle then continued forward and hit several other posts, mailboxes and garbage cans before reentering the road and hitting the westbound pickup a 63-year-old Cape Coral man was driving.
Who were killed and injured outside That BBQ Place in Matlacha
An 80-year-old Matlacha woman who was sitting outside That BBQ Place was pronounced dead at the scene. Four others who also were sitting outside The BBQ Place suffered injuries and were transported to anarea hospital.
The four were a 77-year-old Matlacha man, who suffered serious injuries; and three who suffered minor injuries ― a 67-year-old Matlacha man and two Sanibel Island residents: a 58-year-old man and 55-year-old woman.
The crash remains under investigation, charges pending, state police said in the news release.
Saturday night, the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District reported on its Facebook that four ambulances and two EMS supervisors had responded to the scene "where three victims were trauma alerts transported to the hospital by ground ambulance and one victim was a trauma alert transported by helicopter."
Blue Dog Bar & Grill announced on Facebook that it closed for the rest of Saturday night.
"See you Tuesday morning. Give your loved ones a hug," restaurant officials said.
That BBQ Place also said on Facebook that it would be closed for a couple of days.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: 1 dead, 3 hurt after vehicle hits Matlacha restaurant, officials say
