Bartender 'Jumped Like A Cat' To Avoid SUV - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Bartender 'Jumped Like A Cat' To Avoid SUV

Posted: Updated:

NBCNEWS.COM - A bartender jumped out of the way just in the nick of time when a SUV smashed through a Sunrise restaurant Wednesday.

"And all of a sudden we just look out the window and I tell him ‘watch out, look at him,'" manager Eduardo Corte said of bartender Edwin Perez.

Surveillance video shows Corte warning Perez to move. He slid over the bar of Havana's Cuban Cuisine at 10035 Sunset Strip as the red Nissan SUV crashed through the front of the restaurant.

"He jumped out of the bar like a cat!" Corte said.

Owner Michael Mellion called Perez "a very lucky man."

"About 30 seconds prior to that car entering, he was down on his knees, preparing, cleaning for the day, in between a big cooler and the bar. And he would have been smashed," Mellion said.

Perez escaped with some stitches, and the elderly driver was also OK. Corte said her foot was still on the gas pedal from the shock.

The restaurant was closed as repairs were made Wednesday, but the owner said it could re-open Thursday.

  • Most Popular StoriesMost Popular Stories

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 7:26 PM EDT2013-05-22 23:26:35 GMT
    SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - The body of a 46-year-old female has been found at the Oxford Suites Hotel in Spokane Valley.
    SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - The body of a 46-year-old female has been found at the Oxford Suites Hotel in Spokane Valley. Staff members found the body in the floor room on Wednesday afternoon. At this hour we're awaiting more details from authorities. >>>SEND BREAKING NEWS VIDEO AND PICTURES TO PIX@KHQ.COM|

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 2:07 AM EDT2013-05-23 06:07:30 GMT
    SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane Police Department needs your help in locating a missing 13 year-old girl. Janna Smith was last seen at her residence at 2600 E 38th this afternoon around 4:30pm. She is described
    SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane Police Department needs your help in locating a missing 13 year-old girl. Janna Smith was last seen at her residence at 2600 E 38th this afternoon around 4:30pm. She is described as a Pacific Islander, 5'1", 120 lbs, wears glasses, shoulder-length black hair, possibly wearing a Bloomsday T-shirt. She functions at the 8-9 year old level. If you have any idea where she is, please call 911.

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 2:49 AM EDT2013-05-23 06:49:37 GMT
    SPOKANE, Wash. - The FBI says a 37-year-old man has been arrested following last week's discovery in Washington state of a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin.
    SPOKANE, Wash. - The FBI says a 37-year-old man has been arrested following last week's discovery in Washington state of a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin. Matthew Ryan Buquet made his initial appearance in federal court in Spokane following his arrest Wednesday afternoon. READ MORE DETAILS INSIDE OF THE STORY>>>