Medics took eight people to hospitals and four of them were seriously injured, police in Arlington County, Virginia, said. The other four patients have injuries that are not life-threatening, according to police. Medics treated six other people at the scene and they are all doing well, police said. Photos from the scene at Four Courts, Ireland show a gaping hole in the front of the building with clouds of smoke pouring out. A fire department spokesman said the crash happened at about 6:45 p.m. and firefighters arrived at the pub to find it engulfed in flames. The fire has since been extinguished, the fire department said. “I was just talking to some patrons who came in and I heard a bang. We all heard a ban, an explosion, so I just turned around and saw all the debris coming towards the back of the pub. So it was just pure panic,” he told News4 Mary Reilly, a server at the pub. “It was just pure panic. “Everybody out of the back, everybody out of the back.” That’s it. Just panic.” Riley said she couldn’t see the car at all from where she was and saw smoke and debris. “I thought the whole place was going to explode,” he said. Reilly said she believes the number of people injured would have been worse if the bar had been busier, as it usually is on a Friday night. “It’s the grace of God that we weren’t busy tonight. Of course, the servers, the bartenders complain that we’re not busy, but we’re usually full. That top bar that the car drove through is usually full,” he said. . It is too early to know why the car crashed into the building or the extent of structural damage to the pub, the spokesman said. While it’s unclear which direction the car was traveling before the crash, the restaurant is located at an intersection with N. Courthouse Road that ends at Wilson Avenue. More than an hour after the crash, dozens of firefighters, medics and police were still working at the scene. @ArlingtonVaPD and ACFD are investigating a vehicle crash at a building in the 2000 block of Wilson Boulevard. The collision caused a fire in a structure which has been extinguished. Many injuries have been reported. The investigation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/R9YP83qgkS — Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) August 12, 2022 Ireland’s Four Courts is a popular spot for football fans, while the bar’s trivia nights also draw a crowd. The pub has been around for 20 years, according to its website. He asked in a tweet to “keep all those injured in your thoughts and prayers.” Stay with News4 for continued coverage.
