By Imran Malik | New Jersey Crime & Breaking News Desk | NJNewsline.com
One person was killed and seven others injured Saturday after a car plowed into Meg’s Grill restaurant in Lavallette Ocean County after the driver accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake.
A Saturday afternoon at one of the Jersey Shore’s popular dining spots turned deadly when a car crashed directly into the front of Meg’s Grill in Lavallette, killing one person and sending seven others to hospital in one of Ocean County’s most shocking incidents of the year.
The car struck the Route 35 restaurant with enough force to cause significant damage to the adjacent liquor store next door, according to images from the scene. Officials confirmed the driver had mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.
What Happened
The crash occurred Saturday off Route 35 in Lavallette, Ocean County, according to a report from News12 New Jersey. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and seven injured individuals were transported to hospital. One person did not survive.
The restaurant sits directly across the street from the Lavallette police department — meaning officers were among the first to respond to the scene.
Officials confirmed the cause was driver error. The driver struck the accelerator when they intended to apply the brake, sending the vehicle directly into the front of the building with devastating consequences.
Photographs from the scene showed significant structural damage to the exterior wall of the liquor store adjacent to Meg’s Grill, suggesting the force of impact extended beyond the restaurant’s immediate frontage.
The Restaurant Responds
Meg’s Grill posted on social media shortly after the incident to reassure its community.
“Our staff is safe,” the restaurant said in its initial post, adding that more information about reopening would follow.
In a follow-up post Saturday night the restaurant provided an update that offered some relief amid the tragedy. The building itself was undamaged. The restaurant said it would remain closed Sunday and Monday out of respect for what had occurred and planned to reopen on Tuesday.
The liquor store next door suffered the visible exterior damage seen in photographs from the scene.
Ocean County’s Worst Fear at the Shore
Jersey Shore restaurants during the late summer season are packed with locals and visitors. Outdoor diners, walk-in traffic, families and weekend crowds gather at spots like Meg’s Grill precisely because of their accessible locations along Route 35 and the surrounding Shore area.
A car losing control and plowing into a restaurant is every Shore community’s nightmare scenario — a collision between the ordinary pleasures of a weekend afternoon and a split-second mechanical error that cannot be undone.
One family is now grieving. Seven others are recovering in hospital. A beloved Shore restaurant will be dark for the weekend.
NJNewsline.com will update this story as Ocean County authorities release further details including the condition of the seven injured and the identity of the victim.
— Imran Malik | New Jersey Crime and Breaking News Desk | NJNewsline.com
Source: NJ.com, News12 New Jersey
