A black SUV plowed into the drive-thru entrance of a McDonald's on Broadway in Lawrence on Sunday afternoon, leaving the vehicle partially lodged inside the building and debris scattered across the ground. The crash happened after the SUV struck three other cars along Broadway before barreling into the restaurant at 50 Broadway, with roughly five people transported for medical evaluations.
Video shared with Boston 25 News showed the SUV wedged into the restaurant, though it was not immediately clear whether anyone inside the McDonald's was hurt, and the cause of the driver losing control also was not immediately known. The additional detail that the SUV struck three other vehicles before the final impact, along with the approximate count of five people taken for medical evaluation, comes from community reporting relayed by Mass Daily News
. Boston 25 News reported reaching out to the Lawrence Police Department for more information, and the station described the story as developing with updates expected.
Not the First Time a Lawrence Storefront Has Taken a Hit
This isn't the first time a Lawrence business has ended up on the receiving end of a car crash. Back in April 2022, a car careened into the Terra Luna Cafe, injuring three people inside and prompting police to summons the driver for negligent operation, according to CBS News. That earlier case shows local police have pursued criminal charges in similar vehicle-into-building incidents in the city.
Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 24, operating a motor vehicle negligently in a way that endangers public safety is a criminal misdemeanor, carrying penalties of up to two years in a house of correction, fines up to $200, and mandatory license suspension, per guidance published by Neyman Law. The same statute's definition of a public way extends to commercial parking lots, driveways, and drive-thru lanes open to the public as invitees, meaning the McDonald's drive-thru lane itself could fall within the law's reach if negligence is established.
Broadway's Traffic Troubles Run Deeper Than One Crash
Broadway in Lawrence also functions as Massachusetts State Route 28, which places driveways, curb cuts, and property access along the corridor under state transportation oversight, according to a report filed with Methuen City Planning. That heavy-traffic designation tracks with MassDOT IMPACT open crash data covering 2022 to 2024, which recorded at least 18 reported vehicle crashes along the Broadway corridor, reflecting the dense traffic that runs through the area.
The corridor has seen other serious wrecks recently as well. In May 2026, a severe collision in North Lawrence on Erving Avenue left one person dead and another critically injured after a car struck a utility pole, according to a report from Fiorentino Legal.
Why Drive-Thrus Are Especially Vulnerable
Saturday's crash fits into a much larger national pattern. Vehicles crash into commercial buildings roughly 100 times per day across the United States, resulting in about 16,000 injuries and 2,600 fatalities annually, according to data compiled by the Storefront Safety Council. Restaurants, including fast-food outlets with drive-thrus, account for roughly 20% of all storefront vehicle collisions nationwide, making them the third most frequently struck type of commercial property, behind only retail stores and convenience markets, per research reported by The Crash Report.
To combat that risk, ASTM International developed the ASTM F3016 standard to test low-speed safety bollards and barriers, certifying their ability to stop a 5,000-pound vehicle traveling between 10 and 30 mph before it reaches a storefront or drive-thru entrance, according to Reliance Foundry. Whether this particular McDonald's had any crash-rated barriers in place was not addressed in available reporting.
As of now, it remains unclear whether anyone was injured in Sunday's crash, what caused the driver to lose control, or whether Lawrence police will pursue charges as they did in the 2022 Terra Luna Cafe case. Boston 25 News noted the story was still developing, with updates expected as more information becomes available.
