A pick-up truck has smashed into Yellowknife’s Sushi Café on Franklin Avenue, destroying the restaurant’s exterior wall.
Staff told Cabin Radio the incident happened before 5am on Sunday, and alleged the driver had left the scene before RCMP arrived. We have approached RCMP for comment and further information.
Nobody was in the building at the time, staff said. The condition of the driver is unclear, and it’s not known if the vehicle had any other occupants.
The café’s owners said they expected a ‘prolonged’ closure, and appealed for help finding somewhere to temporarily relocate while repairs are carried out.
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On Monday, RCMP said they had seized the vehicle – a white Ford F-150 – and their investigation was “active and ongoing.”
An image posted by Simon Cloutier on Facebook shows a truck, apparently travelling against the direction of traffic, wedged in the side of the Sushi Café building.
By 8am, repair workers had already arrived to begin the process of clearing up extensive interior damage.
“Unfortunately, we have been having a very rough year here at Sushi Café,” the restaurant posted to its Facebook page later on Sunday.
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“The Sushi Café family is saddened by this news as we will have to remain closed for a prolonged period of time while police and insurance do their investigations and the building undergoes repairs.
“In the meantime we are looking for a temporary location to continue our business. If you or someone you know has a kitchen that can be on loan please message us on Facebook or email Claudia at klaudea.li@gmail.com.
“We thank all our customers for their support and kind words, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We will keep you posted as soon as we have an anticipated timeline on when we can be up on our feet again.”
Yellowknife RCMP asked for anyone with information about the incident, or who may have witnessed it, to come forward by calling 867-669-1111 or contacting CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
