It was a very close call for a mother and her child in a McDonald's restroom Saturday.
It was lunchtime, just before 1:00pm when a minivan maneuvering into a parking spot suddenly accelerated right into the side of the building.
It happened on the 800 block of South College Avenue in Newark.
"On the inside of the wall that was struck was the women's rest room," said Lt. Mark Farrall.
Inside that rest room, a 31 year old woman was changing her two year old's diapers on the changing table.
The impact sent them flying amid a shower of debris.
After the impact, they were trapped.
Another woman was also in the restroom and ran for her husband to get help.
"He actually had to pull, pry a door back to get to them and render aid to them until rescue personnel could arrive," said Lt. Farrall.
The two year old suffered a head injury and is hospitalized in stable condition.
Her mother was treated for a leg injury; both of them lucky to escape an extremely close call.
"We're fortunate that there wasn't anyone in front of the vehicle, or there weren't more serious injuries to the parties involved," said Lt. Farrall.
The van was driven by a 17 year old boy.
At this point, police don't know what caused the sudden acceleration into the restaurant. It could have been operator error by an inexperienced driver. But, the police are also checking out the van.
"The vehicle is being held now for examination, and we will look into it to determine whether or not this was a mechanical issue with the vehicle or some other cause," said Lt. Farrall.
The 17 year old driver and his younger passenger were shaken up, but uninjured.
Police say there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol.
So far no charges have been filed and an investigation is ongoing.