SUV crashes into Rancho Mirage Applebee’s

An SUV crashed into an Applebee’s restaurant in Rancho Mirage Thursday afternoon. Witnesses on scene said the vehicle struck the only empty table in the restaurant, but officials haven’t confirmed if that was indeed the case.

The restaurant is located at 71740 Highway 111, near Rancho Las Palmas Drive. Authorities said there were two people in the car and neither of them were injured, and nobody inside the restaurant was hurt either.

Officers responded to the collision shortly after 12:30 p.m.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 were on scene and fire crews were boarding up the damage to the restaurant with plywood to help the business stay open while management waits to make permanent repairs.

Fire officials said some electrical wiring was damaged as well but it was fixed quickly so the restaurant could continue serving customers.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. We’ll have more details as soon as we hear back from authorities.