Car Hits Restaurant, Shears Off Gas Meter

A 20-year-old Spokane man was cited early Sunday after the car he was driving smashed into a North Side sandwich shop and sheared off a natural-gas meter.

The car, traveling west on Francis about 1:30 a.m., crossed over a barrier into oncoming traffic, jumped the south curb, went through a wooden fence and knocked an 8-foot hole into the side of Bruchi’s restaurant, 1006 E. Francis, police said.

The driver, Jason C. Hammond, 20, of 1218 W. Seventh, was cited for allegedly being a minor in possession of alcohol, driving under the influence and speeding.

Hammond suffered superficial cuts to his face.

Firefighters and crews from Washington Water Power worked for several hours to shut off the natural gas.

The car was sitting on the broken gas meter, said Joe Stapleton, battalion chief for the Spokane Fire Department.