Delaware

Suspected DUI Driver Slams Into Dewey Beach Eatery, Causes Devastating Fire

A mainstay beach dining spot in Delaware may be gone for good after a speeding car driven by a suspected drunk driver plowed through the restaurant overnight, causing it to go up in flames.

Ed's Chicken & Crabs, a popular eatery on Coastal Highway (Route 1) in Dewey Beach, sustained $75,000 worth of damage when police say 36-year-old Michelle Small, of Wyoming, Del., sped down Route 1 about 2 a.m. in her Mini Cooper and lost control near Clayton Street, hit a sign, then crashed into the building. The crash severed a propane line, causing a gas leak, police said, and the building quickly caught fire and became engulfed in flames. Officers were able to pull Small from the wreckage just before the fire.

Restaurant owner Ed Riggin said he doesn't expect to be able to rebuild.

"It's been an icon for Dewey for a long time. People are really gonna miss it," neighbor Robert Jones, who lives right behind Ed's, said. "Everybody who works here, everybody who lives in this down, they all know everybody. It's really affecting everybody, both emotionally and financially."

Surveillance cameras in the area captured the crash on video. Small suffered only minor injuries and is now facing charges of driving under the influence and related offenses, police said. No other injuries were reported.

The Dewey Beach community is mourning the loss of the beloved restaurant.

"Everybody comes here to eat crabs," Jones said. "It's where everybody goes."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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