A Lincoln man was arrested Thursday, six months after his minivan vaulted a median and tore through the wall of a popular restaurant near 27th and W streets, injuring a toddler and a 60-year-old woman. Police say their investigation found the driver, Cashius Chandler, was impaired and huffing aerosol behind the wheel when the crash happened.
A Crash That Shut Down a Neighborhood Restaurant
The crash happened shortly before noon on May 9 at Cuba Restaurant & Bar, according to KLIN. Police said Chandler was driving a white Dodge Grand Caravan north on N. 27th Street when he struck and vaulted over the curbed median just south of W Street before slamming into the building, per the same outlet's report. The impact was serious enough that Building and Safety officials later determined the damage made the structure unsafe to occupy, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, and the restaurant was closed until repairs could be made.
Two people were badly hurt in the crash. A 60-year-old Lincoln woman suffered a permanent leg injury that has left her unable to work full time, the station's report notes. A one-year-old child was airlifted to Children's Hospital in Omaha with a suspected brain bleed. An earlier account from KSNB Local 4 described a 19-month-old inside the restaurant suffering serious injuries and being transferred to an Omaha hospital for further treatment, while a later Journal Star report said that child was eventually released from the hospital. KSNB Local 4's initial coverage also noted several minor injuries among people in the vehicle and customers inside the restaurant.
Conflicting Early Accounts of What Caused the Crash
In the hours after the crash, KSNB Local 4 reported a preliminary account that the driver suffered a medical emergency, became unconscious, and veered off the roadway into the building. But per the account relayed by KLIN six months later, the investigation determined Chandler was impaired while driving and had been huffing behind the wheel. The two versions have not been reconciled publicly, and each is presented here as reported by its respective outlet.
Investigators said officers located an aerosol duster cap inside Chandler's vehicle at the scene. Later, acting on a tip, officers found the can itself in a bush near the crash site, according to the same report. Police also said video footage obtained during the investigation confirmed evidence of what happened before, during, and after the crash.
Arrest and Charges Filed Six Months Later
Cashius Chandler was arrested Thursday following an investigation by the Lincoln Police Department's Traffic Unit, per the KLIN report. He was booked into the Lancaster County Jail on two counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury and one count of willful reckless driving, and has since been released on the reckless driving charge, the outlet reported.
Nebraska law defines willful reckless driving as operating a motor vehicle in a manner indicating willful disregard for the safety of persons or property, according to the Nebraska Legislature.
