Close call: Truck crashes into Longhorn Restaurant narrowly missing diners

An errant driver crashed through the wall of a Neelyville restaurant Saturday, narrowly missing diners.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon at Longhorn Restaurant, part of the Taylor’s Stateline Travel Center in Neelyville.

The vehicle narrowly missed a table with three patrons, according to witnesses.

Within hours, 40 volunteers patched the hole in the wall and the restaurant was back up and running. According to employee Jeralyn Taylor Goodman, the driver had a medical emergency that caused him to lose consciousness.

“Luckily, the weather caused (the) restaurant to be slower than usual and there were just a few diners,” Goodman recounted.

In the security footage, the truck passed within only a foot of a seated group. Due to the efforts of volunteers, the restaurant was only closed for four hours.

“The Stateline opened in 1930 And has never been closed down. One truck in our restaurant isn’t gonna stop us either,” Goodman added.

The condition of the driver is unknown, but Goodman did not observe any injuries from the crash.

“We had some excitement today,” Goodman wrote in a Facebook post. “Thank the Lord no one was hurt!”

Editor's note: This article has been updated since it was first posted online.