BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A fire broke out in a three-story building early Saturday after a car crashed into a Chinese take-out restaurant on the ground floor, officials said.
A white sedan slammed into New Hardee Chinese Restaurant on the corner of Throop and DeKalb avenues at roughly 3:45 a.m., an FDNY spokesman said.
The driver managed to escape the car immediately after the crash, while the passenger had to be pulled out by bystanders, witnesses said.
Shortly after, the car burst into flames and the blaze spread to the second floor of the building.
More of Fire at New Hardee in Bedstuy this morning pic.twitter.com/x8CnApJsZk
— Spencer (@spencerinBK) May 16, 2015The three-alarm fire was under control at 4:53 a.m., officials said.
The take-out spot, which has been in business for nearly nine years, was closed at the time of the crash.
“We were sleeping and heard a big noise and saw a car in our restaurant,” said owner Zong Gang Zhu. “Thankfully everyone was okay, that’s all that matters. We are just waiting to see what happens with us next.”
Zhu and other building residents collected their belongings Monday morning as the Department of Buildings issued a full vacate order at the 835 DeKalb Ave. building.
It was unclear how many residents were displaced.
The passenger of the car was taken to Kings County Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.
