COSTA MESA : Car Crashes Into Goat Hill Tavern
A motorist lost control of her car Wednesday morning and crashed through the wall of Henry and Harry’s Goat Hill Tavern.
Mercedes Lizano, 55, of Costa Mesa complained of back pain after the 9:50 a.m. accident, but Costa Mesa Police Lt. Al Kent said she refused medical treatment. There were no other injuries.
Lizano was driving south on Newport Boulevard when the accident occurred. She said she was stopping for a red light at Harbor Boulevard when her brakes locked and pulled her Dodge Scamp to the left.
Police speculated that in her panic, Lizano stepped on the gas pedal, causing her car to accelerate over the center divider, across the northbound lanes, over the sidewalk and through the wall of the bar at 1830 Newport Blvd.
“It’s hard to determine exactly what happened, but that’s our best explanation for how she was able to drive over a couple of raised curbs,” Kent said. He added that no citations have been issued and the investigation is continuing.
Despite heavy damage to the front of the bar, owner Robert Ziemer moved quickly to make repairs. Seven hours after the accident, Ziemer announced that the bar was open for business.
“When you have money, you can do anything,” he said. “There was a lot of damage, but it’s all fixed. . . . “
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