SUV plows into Scooter’s; one injured
BY LINDA BLASER lblaser@pioneerlocal.com January 19, 2012 11:40AM
Damage to the side of Scooter's Restaurant. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 27, 2012 8:11AM
An SUV plowed through the side of Scooter’s restaurant at Route 176 near Waukegan Road in Knollwood around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, injuring one customer who was inside the restaurant.
Lake County Sheriff’s police charged a 48-year-old Lake Bluff woman with one misdemeanor count of child neglect and a traffic citation for leaving a vehicle unattended while running.
Stephanie Burke left her two 9-year-olds and a 6-year-old in the 2007 Acura SUV while she went into the restaurant to pick up food. She left the vehicle running, officials said.
“One of the 9-year-olds hopped into the driver’s seat and essentially drove the car into the building,” Lt. Christopher Thompson said.
A 40-year-old female patron from Waukegan sustained minor hip injuries as a result of structural damage caused to the building. She was transported to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Thompson said.
Because the building sustained structural damage, Knollwood Fire Department crews shut down the restaurant for the rest of the day. Construction crews worked through the night to board up the damaged wall and window. The restaurant was open Thursday for business, owner Jerry Garbis said.
“It was an unfortunate set of circumstances, but someone was injured due to (Burke’s) neglect,” Thompson said. “In a situation like this, obviously, it could have been a lot worse. Thankfully, it wasn’t.”
Thompson suggested that parents keep their children with them at all times or “go through a drive-thru,” he said.
Burke posted $100 bond and is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Feb. 1.
Scooter’s has been open since 1986 and serves primarily hot dogs and hamburgers.
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