toronto car crash

Car comes within inches of crashing through Toronto restaurant

It was a near miss for a Toronto barbecue joint yesterday when a large vehicle crashed into a telephone pole right outside, just inches from the restaurant's front window.

The proprietors of Uncle Smoke reacted with breezy humour and grace considering the alarming situation, posting shocking photos of the close call to Instagram with captions joking about valet parking and drive-thrus.

Owner of Uncle Smoke Cookhouse Chris Patheiger is actually currently in Vancouver, but confirmed over the phone that no one was hurt and no one was charged in the incident.

The vehicle, a Jeep, contained a lone driver, who swerved into the guide wire of a telephone pole to avoid oncoming traffic. The wire miraculously held the Jeep's weight. 

Photos on social media show the crashed vehicle empty, so it appears the driver was somehow able to escape; Patheiger was unable to confirm exactly how. 

Be careful when you're walking on the sidewalk around the busy Dundas and Bloor area, and if you're craving some brisket, take the time to find a proper parking space before heading into your favourite restaurant to get it.

Lead photo by

@fohphoto


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

What Toronto looked like over 155 years ago

The surprisingly radical history of that church they built the Toronto Eaton Centre around

Toronto has one of the highest unemployment rates among major cities in Canada

The average hourly wage for Canadian employees is now almost $35

This Ontario city is trying to lure residents from Toronto with its cheap cost of living

This ultra-poisonous Ontario plant looks delicious but can easily kill you

Here's why there's an abandoned space-age bunker below a Toronto highway

People in Toronto wondering about mysterious black boxes spotted around the city