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Surveillance video captured the lunchtime crash, which scattered tables, chairs and tent poles before slamming into a pair of Dumpsters and stopping atop some tree stumps Friday at Nellie’s Place in Waldwick.
Witnesses said the 57-year-old driver had just submitted a sample for a COVID test at the Rite Aid up the street when she lost consciousness heading down Franklin Turnpike.
Her SUV hit the curb outside a small shopping center, crossed the street and careened through the garden of the Sounding Board Home Theatre Company before barreling into the restaurant parking lot, they said.
The driver was taken to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood with injuries that weren't considered serious, responders said.
Because only outdoor dining is currently allowed in New Jersey, Friday’s rain kept Nellie’s closed.
Owner Chris Roche reopened on Saturday with concrete barriers for protection.
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