Chaos descended on the Commons after a tractor trailer slammed into Simeons Restaurant around 4 p.m. on Friday.
Witnesses reported multiple injuries and there was a huge emergency response by the Ithaca Police Department and Ithaca Fire Department.
Police on scene said three people have been sent to the hospital. Witnesses on the scene say a pregnant woman might have been injured.
Several bystanders said they rushed into the restaurant to help those inside. Many emerged with cuts and bruises.
“I thought the whole building was going to fall down,” Dintu Sidiki, a bystander, said. “I was so scared, I thought the whole building was going to fall down because bricks just started flying across the street. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. I literally thought we were all going to die … I helped two other people. One lady had a piece of wood in her arm and her face was all bloody.”
Griffin Carmichael who was also on scene said people were crawling out of the basement and windows.
“People were coming out of the basement, people were crawling out of the windows. We immediately broke the window so people could come out. Bricks were falling and people were coming out injured and crying and that’s when the cops arrived.”
Watch a video of the interview here.
There is no official word yet on injuries or fatalities.
We have reporters on scene, check back as we update the story and follow our tweets @ithacavoice.