What are the odds that while eating at a restaurant with your family, a car would suddenly come crashing through the doors and into your table? For most people, this sounds like a far-fetched risk. Yet, in the past week alone, there have been three such incidents reported across the United States. In a bizarre and dangerous coincidence, two of them occurred at Indian restaurants, injuring Indian American families who were quietly enjoying their meals.
Tesla smashes into Hyderabad House restaurant in Chicago suburbs
In Schaumburg, Illinois — an upscale suburb of Chicago with a large South Asian American community — diners at Hyderabad House experienced a terrifying ordeal when a Tesla barreled through the glass entrance two days ago. The restaurant, a popular spot for Andhra-style biryani, was packed during rush hour when the white Tesla slammed into the dining area, showering patrons with glass shards.
Four members of an Indian American family sitting near the entrance were injured. While none suffered life-threatening wounds, all required stitches for deep cuts. A cousin of the family later wrote in a South Asian social media group that, collectively, the family underwent “thirty stitches” after the harrowing experience. His cousin had cuts across his arm, while his wife and parents also required treatment but are now recovering.
Bystanders and fellow diners were stunned. Witnesses described the scene as happening “at lightning speed,” leaving no time to react or warn others. A nearby family was also slightly injured by flying debris, and one man required stitches to his arm. Several diners recalled the chaos as “sheer panic,” though miraculously, no lives were lost.
Elderly Indian American couple struck as SUV plows into Texas restaurant
Just days earlier, in Irving, Texas, another crash sent an elderly couple into shock and injury. Raj and Kala Arivalahan, visiting from Maryland, stopped for a meal at Mythri’s Indian Cuisine when a Ford Bronco SUV suddenly burst through the storefront.
According to reports, the driver mistakenly shifted into drive instead of reverse. The Arivalahans suffered cuts and bruises but were fortunate to survive. “That time, the car came in, I fell down, she was pushed out the other side,” Raj told Fox 4. “Fortunately, the car stopped… I had small cuts all over, but we were very fortunate.” His wife, speaking through tears to the local TV station, said she thought she had lost her husband in that terrifying moment.
The incident remains under investigation as the family awaits further updates from the police.
Houston food influencers caught crash on camera, file $1 million lawsuit
In Houston, a third crash was caught on camera by two food influencers who had been filming a restaurant review when disaster struck. On August 16, 2025, content creators Patrick Blackwood and Nina Unrated were recording a video at Cuvee Culinary Creations, highlighting parmesan and lemon pepper wings, lamb chops, and shrimp-and-grits martinis. As they joked with staff, their camera captured the shocking moment an SUV plowed through the glass wall beside their table, spraying glass and debris across the dining room.
The pair, represented by high-profile attorney Tony Buzbee, have since filed a $1 million lawsuit against property owner Citadel Asset Holdings LLC. The suit alleges negligence for failing to install protective barriers that could have prevented the crash. The case is drawing national attention, with safety advocates suggesting it could set a precedent for holding restaurants and landlords accountable when vehicles breach glass-front buildings.