Woman charged after crash into Dessert Deli

AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) - A normal afternoon took a frightening turn at a restaurant in Amherst. And earlier on Friday, the same thing happened in Cheektowaga.

Valerie Pelino said, "I just said, 'Oh my God.' I had trays in my hands. I dropped them and ran out."

Pelino saw the red SUV crash through the front of Dessert Deli at Maple and North Forest.

"I look up and all I saw was a red blur so she must've been going fast and she hit that van and the bumper fell off," said Pelino.

Jim Radomski said, "And she was sitting there with her face in her hands. She wouldn't respond. We were screaming at her to open the door. She wouldn't respond."

>> PHOTO GALLERY: see more photos from this crash and almost a dozen others since last month

The driver is 49-years-old and didn't appear injured from the crash itself, but may have had a seizure.

Amherst Police Sr. Inv. Scott Lawida said, "She's apparently on numerous medications and even if they are prescription, you can't drive if your under the influence of prescription medications if it's going to impair your ability to drive."

Amazingly, no one in the Dessert Deli was hurt.

Dr. Sigrid Pechenik said, "My children are always there sitting right there by that window, so if my children would've actually listened to me, they would've been sitting right there while I was getting my nails done."

Just hours before that, a pickup truck smashed into the front of Immediate Care on Transit near Losson Road in Cheektowaga. No one was hurt, but the bizarre and dangerous streak of cars in buildings continues. These two latest crashes come just four days after the town of Amherst passed a law mandating barriers be built on new construction projects.

In the Friday afternoon crash into the Dessert Deli, the driver is identied as 49-year-old Malinda Frank who has been charged with imprudent speed, and driving while ability impaired by drugs.