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Emergency crews in Farmingdale responded to the fiery collision at Great Wall Kitchen, located near the intersection of Broadway and Boundary Avenue, just before 11:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3.
An investigation found that a 57-year-old woman was driving a Hyundai SUV northbound on Broadway when she left the roadway, struck two parked vehicles, and slammed into the storefront, Nassau County Police said.
The driver was clearly speeding well over the 30 mph limit moments before she hit a dip at just the right angle to send her vehicle careening over newly installed barriers and into the building before it burst into flames, video shared by LI Fire Buff on Facebook shows.
Both the driver and a 30-year-old man who was sitting in a parked Mustang were taken to nearby hospitals for evaluation and treatment, police said. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of their injuries.
The collision and subsequent fire caused major damage to the front of the restaurant. Nobody inside the building was injured.
Monday night’s collision marked the second such crash at Great Wall Kitchen in a year. In January 2024, a suspected drunk driver caused a chain-reaction crash that sent a parked car through the storefront, as Daily Voice reported. Both the driver and a female customer were hospitalized with minor injuries following that incident.
Kevin Chen's parents, who own the restaurant, had just finished rebuilding from the first crash when tragedy struck again Monday night, Chen wrote on the "Farmingdale NY 11735" Facebook group.
"Now we are faced with the same devastation all over again. While we are committed to rebuilding, we cannot ignore how dangerous this intersection is," Chen said. "Something needs to change."
The family previously advocated for concrete barriers in front of the restaurant, "but clearly, that was not enough," he continued.
"We urge the town [of Oyster Bay] to take additional safety measures—whether that’s better traffic controls, additional lights, or speed enforcement—to prevent this from happening again," he said.
"We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the Farmingdale community. Your kindness has meant everything to our family during these difficult times."
Watch video of the high-speed crash here.
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