McDonald`s Accident Investigated

A speeding car careened through an intersection, jumped the curb and smashed into a McDonald's restaurant Wednesday morning, killing three workers inside. The car's driver and another worker were injured.

Authorities said Frank Nastasi, 52, was by himself in the green, late-model Cadillac Sedan DeVille that crashed around 4:20 a.m. The restaurant is in a residential area of this Camden County town, about 10 miles southeast of Philadelphia.

No customers were in the restaurant, which was staffed by a crew of six. Only the drive-though window was open.

Investigators spent the day trying to piece together how the bizarre tragedy occurred.

"It could take all week to figure it out," said Mount Ephraim Police Chief Nicholas Salaman. "It's crazy."

This much is known: The car sped across Black Horse Pike at a T-intersection and jumped the curb in front of the McDonald's, narrowly missing a utility box and a sign pole. It took out some shrubbery and jumped hit a second curb before crashing at full speed into the two-story window at the front of the newly renovated restaurant, nearly 50 yards from the street.

Officials said the car was moving fast, but wouldn't give a specific estimate. "How fast can a Cadillac go?" asked Camden County Prosecutor Lee Solomon. There were no skid marks on the street.

Once inside the restaurant, the car traveled through an indoor playground area, the front area and the service counter. It finally came to a stop in the food preparation area near the drive-through window, where a small fire broke out. Firefighters brought it under control in about 15 minutes.

The three people who died were killed by the vehicle's impact, police said.

They were identified as Cindy Molina, 45, of Mount Ephraim; JoAnn Bowen, 52, of Mount Ephraim, and Nancy King, 49, of Audubon.

A McDonald's executive said they were all longtime employees, averaging nearly 10 years experience with the company.

One worker was treated for minor injuries, Camden County First Assistant Prosecutor James P. Lynch said. Two others working in the restaurant were not injured.

Nastasi was taken to the Cooper Health System trauma center in Camden, where he was listed in critical but stable condition Wednesday afternoon, hospital spokeswoman Linda Hodson said. The hospital would not specify the nature of his injuries.

Lynch would not comment on whether Nastasi may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

Nastasi was employed in his family's Oaklyn furniture store and lived in a historic Colonial-style house in nearby Haddon Heights. Relatives gathered at the home Wednesday declined comment, as did workers at the furniture store.

Police were also at Nastasi's home throughout the morning and took out a computer hard drive shortly after noon.

A neighbor said that Nastasi's wife, Linda, usually drove the Cadillac, but that the couple often took it out together on weekends.

Employees and relatives of the victims spent the morning meeting with counselors and human resources officers from McDonald's in the township's emergency management bus, which was parked across the street from the restaurant. Other current and former employees watched Wednesday as crews prepared to dragged the car out of the building.

"A loss like this to us is a very personal matter, as we know it is for the community," said David Murphy, the McDonald's vice president for the Philadelphia region.

Last year, the restaurant was badly burned and closed for several months. An employee was charged with arson.

When the restaurant reopened several months ago, it was larger and open 24 hours.

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Author: 6 ABC-AP