Car Crashes Into New Orleans Restaurant, Forces Indefinite Closure

NEW ORLEANS, May 21, 2026 — A car traveling at high speed lost control Wednesday afternoon and crashed through the front wall of the Olive Branch Cafe in the Algiers neighborhood, injuring the driver and several patrons and forcing the 24-year-old restaurant to shut down indefinitely while building inspections and repairs are completed.

The crash occurred at approximately 2:50 p.m. at 5145 General De Gaulle Drive, when about 15 diners and staff members were inside the restaurant. Surveillance footage from inside the cafe captured the moment the vehicle breached the front entrance, narrowly missing a table of diners and an employee before coming to a stop just short of the hostess stand.

Car Strikes Gas Station Barriers Before Hitting Olive Branch Cafe

Restaurant owner Russell Autry, who opened the Olive Branch Cafe in 2002, said a woman driving a white sedan was traveling at a high rate of speed along General De Gaulle Drive when she appeared to lose control of the vehicle. The car went sideways, struck two concrete barriers at a gas station adjacent to the restaurant, then plowed through the cafe's front wall.

"The vehicle was completely out of control," Autry said. Rubble scattered across patrons as the car came to rest inside the dining room. One employee used a fire extinguisher on the vehicle while customers began evacuating the restaurant.

Minor Injuries Reported; Driver Cited for Reckless Operation

The New Orleans Police Department confirmed the driver and a number of restaurant patrons were transported to hospital with minor injuries. The driver's identity was not disclosed by police. The NOPD issued the driver a citation for reckless operation of a motor vehicle. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Photographs from the aftermath showed scattered bricks, overturned tables and damaged furniture throughout the dining area. Autry said the restaurant cannot reopen until city building inspections are completed and structural repairs are made, with no reopening timeline yet confirmed.

Owner: 'It's a Miracle No One Died'

Autry described the outcome as fortunate given how many people were in the building at the time of impact. "It's a miracle no one was hurt," he said. "It's a miracle no one died." Several diners were seated within feet of where the vehicle came to rest.

"There were several customers dining in the restaurant that were literally just inches and feet away," Autry said in a statement to local media following the crash.

The Olive Branch Cafe has operated as a community dining destination in Algiers since 2002. The New Orleans Police Department said the investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.