Front-end loader crashes into diner; no accident, say N.J. police

By: Barry Leibowitz
Topics: Daily Blotter

Firefighters responded to a diner in Westville, N.J., after someone crashed a front-end loader into it - police say, on purpose - Wednesday night, March 6, 2013

/ CBS Philly/Jim Melwert

(CBS) WESTVILLE, N.J.- Someone stole a front-end loader and crashed it into a diner in southern New Jersey.

No, that's not the opening line of a country song.

It happened in Westville, N.J., late Wednesday night, CBS Philly reported.

The town's police chief, Fred Lederer, says a call came in from a business next to the Piston Diner, where workers watched the scene unfold on a surveillance camera.

"A front-end loader comes up the street, from what we believe is a construction site about a quarter mile from here," Chief Lederer told CBS Philly. "The vehicle made a loop in the middle of Route 130 and drove into the side of the Piston Diner," the chief said.

No one was hurt, but Lederer said shortly after the heavy vehicle crashed into the diner, the person believed to have been behind the wheel got into a silver SUV that had just pulled up, and took off.

According to CBS Philly, diner owner Jason Kramer says the operator lifted the front bucket after crashing though the wall, to do as much damage as possible.

"See that's the thing, we're good to people, all these construction guys were coming in every morning, so I don't know who could have done it."

Chief Lederer says they found mini liquor bottles in the front-end loader, and police are sending them for fingerprint analysis.

"The sad thing...you have to hand people their paychecks for the last time today. I won't be open for another month and a half," Kramer said.

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