One person seriously injured in North Van A&W drive-thru crash

One person has been taken to hospital with serious injuries and both police and WorkSafeBC are investigating after a vehicle crashed into the side of an A&W Restaurant in North Vancouver Saturday afternoon.

A driver from North Vancouver was turning into the drive-thru of the A&W Restaurant at 920 Marine Drive Saturday afternoon when his SUV reportedly drove forward into the side wall of the building instead.

Police did not release information about what happened as a result of the impact, but the wall where the vehicle crashed into the restaurant showed visible damage in the aftermath of the crash.

One person ­– an employee of A&W, who was inside the building at the time of the crash – was taken to hospital by ambulance with serious injuries, according to police. That person's condition was not available at press time.

Const. Mansoor Sahak, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, said Saturday it’s still too early to know what caused the crash.

“We’re still trying to determine what happened,” he said.

Sahak said so far there's nothing to indicate the crash was a result of impaired driving or a medical condition. Police have seized the vehicle for a mechanical inspection.

The RCMP’s Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service unit is assisting with the investigation.

The restaurant was closed this week and a WorkSafeBC notice on the door indicated the owner must ensure repairs to the building are inspected by a qualified person to identify any hazards. A spokesperson for WorkSafe said an inspection report may be completed later this week.