Car Bashes into Route 40 Arby’s, Shutting Down Restaurant

A black 2011 Acura MDX on Monday afternoon struck another car in the parking lot near Centennial Lane and Baltimore National Pike (Route 40) and then smashed into the rear of the nearby .

No one was hurt in the crash, although the Acura did extensive damage to the ladies' bathroom in the restaurant.

Michael Hancock, the Arby's on-duty manager at the time, said he anticipates the restaurant will be closed “for at least several days.”

The Howard County Fire and Rescue department posted a sign shortly after the accident on the restaurant's  entrance saying the facility was closed until further notice.

The driver of the Acura, who asked not to be identified, said the accident was caused by a stuck accelerator.

The driver of the second car,  a teal blue 2000 Honda Civic that was parked at the time of the collision, was notified of the accident via a loudspeaker announcement while she was shopping inside CVS.

Three beams supporting the Arby's restaurant were damaged by the Acura and water was leaking in and around the ladies’ bathroom, according to a restaurant employee and a Fire and Rescue official.

One official characterized the bathroom as “a mess.”

There were numerous Howard County fire trucks, EMS vehicles and police cars at the site. The entrance from Centennial Lane into the restaurant was taped off for over an hour.