Stamford restaurant damaged in crash re-opens
By Kat Russell, Reporter
Stamford Advocate
January 2, 2018
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Stamford-restaurant-damaged-in-crash-re-opens-12467909.php
STAMFORD — A Long Ridge Road restaurant was back serving dinner Tuesday night, one week after a car accident seriously injured an employee and damaged the building.
Table 104 had been closed since the accident on Dec. 27 when a valet accidentally drove a car into the back wall, pinning Stamford High School student Erwin Hernandez. The 18-year-old was seriously injured and had right leg amputated.
Stamford Police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher said the vehicle’s owner explained to the valet the car had been modified with a gas pedal on the left side to accommodate his prosthetic right leg and offered to park it himself.
“The valet said he could handle it, and the owner and his wife went in to have dinner, and a short time later, the valet got into the car and started to circle around the restaurant to park in the rear,” Gallagher said.
While pulling around the restaurant, Gallagher said the valet hit the wrong pedal, side-swiped a parked vehicle and crashed into the building.
Domenico Ioveino, co-owner of the restaurant, said the car crashed through the building’s back outer wall, sending storage shelves and firewood flying. He said the car then struck the restaurant’s inner wall, taking out the building’s dish-washing area.
Ioveino said Hernandez was getting containers from the storage shelves when the car came through the outer wall, pinning the teen between the shelves and the inner wall.
“When we heard the first crash, we thought the shelf where we keep all our containers had been knocked over for some reason, but when we got closer we saw a car had come through the wall,” Ioveino said. “And when we ran outside, we heard a voice crying for help and we had to pull all the shelves and the wood for our wood-burning oven out to get to Erwin.”
Doctors amputated Hernandez’s right leg after an unsuccessful surgery to save it. Hernandez remains hospitalized and a GoFundMe page has been
launched to help cover his medical costs. More than $33,000 of the $150,000 goal had been raised as of Tuesday.
Gallagher said the accident reconstruction team was investigating the accident, but said the incident appeared to be “operator error.”
“We’re looking at this as an operator error situation with very unfortunate consequences,” he said. “And, as with most serious injury or fatal crashes, we will present our complete report to the State’s Attorney’s Office and they will determine if any charges should be filed.”
Ioveino said Hernandez had been an employee at the restaurant for about four months and quickly became “part of the family.”
“He is a very hard-working guy,” he said. “He’s always been very honest and very helpful, he’s basically part of our family. He went to school during the day and then worked at the restaurant three nights a week and over the weekend. And that just shows a little bit of what kind of person he is — an 18-year-old boy coming in and working with us after a long day at school.”
“It’s just a terrible thing to happen,” he said of the crash. “We cannot bring his leg back, but we can support Erwin while he recovers and help him with what he needs in the future.”
Ioveino said Hernandez will continue to receive a regular paycheck from the restaurant while he recovers.
Walter Cappelli, co-owner of Table 104, said the restaurant received the permits needed to repair the building and was cleared by the health department to re-open on Sunday.
Ioveino said the back, northeast corner of the building had to be rebuilt and many of the pipes that burst in the crash were replaced. The restaurant also received a new coat of paint and some improvements in the kitchen.
“Our biggest concern was and is Erwin,” Cappelli said. “All the guys in the kitchen and the employees up front, we’re like a big family, and we were all shocked by the situation. But it was also important that we re-open as quickly as possible because there are 23 employees and their families that depend on us.”
To donate, visit gofundme.com/3fe3t3-keep-the-promise
kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com
Table 104 had been closed since the accident on Dec. 27 when a valet accidentally drove a car into the back wall, pinning Stamford High School student Erwin Hernandez. The 18-year-old was seriously injured and had right leg amputated.
Stamford Police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher said the vehicle’s owner explained to the valet the car had been modified with a gas pedal on the left side to accommodate his prosthetic right leg and offered to park it himself.
“The valet said he could handle it, and the owner and his wife went in to have dinner, and a short time later, the valet got into the car and started to circle around the restaurant to park in the rear,” Gallagher said.
While pulling around the restaurant, Gallagher said the valet hit the wrong pedal, side-swiped a parked vehicle and crashed into the building.
Domenico Ioveino, co-owner of the restaurant, said the car crashed through the building’s back outer wall, sending storage shelves and firewood flying. He said the car then struck the restaurant’s inner wall, taking out the building’s dish-washing area.
Ioveino said Hernandez was getting containers from the storage shelves when the car came through the outer wall, pinning the teen between the shelves and the inner wall.
“When we heard the first crash, we thought the shelf where we keep all our containers had been knocked over for some reason, but when we got closer we saw a car had come through the wall,” Ioveino said. “And when we ran outside, we heard a voice crying for help and we had to pull all the shelves and the wood for our wood-burning oven out to get to Erwin.”
Doctors amputated Hernandez’s right leg after an unsuccessful surgery to save it. Hernandez remains hospitalized and a GoFundMe page has been
launched to help cover his medical costs. More than $33,000 of the $150,000 goal had been raised as of Tuesday.
Gallagher said the accident reconstruction team was investigating the accident, but said the incident appeared to be “operator error.”
“We’re looking at this as an operator error situation with very unfortunate consequences,” he said. “And, as with most serious injury or fatal crashes, we will present our complete report to the State’s Attorney’s Office and they will determine if any charges should be filed.”
Ioveino said Hernandez had been an employee at the restaurant for about four months and quickly became “part of the family.”
“He is a very hard-working guy,” he said. “He’s always been very honest and very helpful, he’s basically part of our family. He went to school during the day and then worked at the restaurant three nights a week and over the weekend. And that just shows a little bit of what kind of person he is — an 18-year-old boy coming in and working with us after a long day at school.”
“It’s just a terrible thing to happen,” he said of the crash. “We cannot bring his leg back, but we can support Erwin while he recovers and help him with what he needs in the future.”
Ioveino said Hernandez will continue to receive a regular paycheck from the restaurant while he recovers.
Walter Cappelli, co-owner of Table 104, said the restaurant received the permits needed to repair the building and was cleared by the health department to re-open on Sunday.
Ioveino said the back, northeast corner of the building had to be rebuilt and many of the pipes that burst in the crash were replaced. The restaurant also received a new coat of paint and some improvements in the kitchen.
“Our biggest concern was and is Erwin,” Cappelli said. “All the guys in the kitchen and the employees up front, we’re like a big family, and we were all shocked by the situation. But it was also important that we re-open as quickly as possible because there are 23 employees and their families that depend on us.”
To donate, visit gofundme.com/3fe3t3-keep-the-promise
kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com
