West Side Bill Miller Bar-B-Q to reopen 'as soon as possible,' manager says

Car ran into restaurant on Culebra Road overnight, caught fire

SAN ANTONIO – A manager at a West Side Bill Miller Bar-B-Q said the restaurant will reopen "as soon as possible," maybe Tuesday, after an overnight crash involving a car.

San Antonio police responded to the location on Culebra Road near General McMullen around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Police said a woman told them she was driving along Culebra Road when a black sedan hit her SUV from behind.

She said the sedan then went out of control, barreled through the restaurant parking lot, broke through a wall of the building and caught fire.

Firefighters were able to knock down the flames quickly.

The impact sent tables, chairs and debris flying.

"Oh my God! Oh, that's terrible!" said Ruth Lara, who showed up later in the morning hoping to buy breakfast tacos. "This is my morning breakfast place, and the rates are so good."

Lara nearly missed seeing all of the damage as she made a beeline for the drive-thru.

The hole in the wall and other damage interrupted the entire breakfast rush.

Instead of preparing food and serving customers, staff members mopped up water and wiped down tables and chairs.

Other workers were brought in to patch up the hole in the wall and replace a broken window.

The crash happened at a time when the restaurant was closed, avoiding potential injuries to customers.

The woman who was driving the SUV was examined briefly by paramedics at the scene. It's unknown whether the driver of the car suffered any injuries.

Police said that driver ran away before officers arrived.

They're still trying to track down that driver.


About the Authors:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Tim has been a photojournalist and video editor at KSAT since 1998. He came to San Antonio from Lubbock, where he worked in TV and earned his bachelor's degree in Electronic Media and Communication from Texas Tech University. Tim has won a handful of awards and has earned a master's in Strategic Communication and Innovation from Tech as well.