The rideshare driver who slammed into an Irish pub in Arlington, Virginia, injuring 15 people and sparking a fire, did not crash into the bar intentionally and they were not under the influence of alcohol, police said Monday.
Arlington County police said the driver, who they have not named, is cooperating with their investigation into the crash at Ireland’s Four Courts on Wilson Boulevard.
Nine people were hospitalized after the car slammed into the front of the pub, bulldozing the front bar early Friday evening.
One person remains in critical condition and two others are stable, police said Monday afternoon.
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An owner of the pub told News4 earlier Monday they hoped to reopen one day.
“We’re a family restaurant,” Dave Cahill said. “Right now, we’re thinking of the families. It’s a lot to process.”
County survey teams were out Monday morning inspecting the damage in the bottom part of the bar and assessing the electrical grid.
Frequent patrons of the pub have rallied in the hopes of helping the business reopen. A GoFundMe page raised more than $67,000 in donations in two days, soaring past its original goal.
Cara Anastasio walked by the boarded-up windows and remembered all the times she and her fiancé had stopped by one of their favorite places.
Ireland’s Four Courts is where they had their first date.
“It’s heartbreaking because it was a community staple. They’ve been around for a long time,” she told News4. “I hope that they can rebuild, they reopen and the community comes back to support them.”
Cahill says his intention is to reopen.
“It’s going to be a process. You know, today is day one, and we’re still thinking about the victims,” he said.
