Police: 2 juveniles taken into custody after stolen car slams into Chick-fil-A in Athens

ATHENS, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A teenage girl in a stolen car fleeing from police crashed into a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Athens early Tuesday, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

Police said the teenage driver was taken into custody and transported to the Northeast Georgia Youth Detention facility after the crash.

Police said the incident started about 4 a.m. when officers noticed a car driving erratically along Broad Street near downtown. Officers determined the vehicle was stolen the night before from somewhere in Athens-Clarke County, police said.

The driver took off, not stopping for officers. Police said the car headed south on Newton Street and then west on Baxter Street.

Police said they set up stop sticks near the intersection of Alps Road and Baxter Street, but the car avoided them. That’s when police said the driver lost control, sending the car into the Chick-fil-A parking lot and then smashing into the restaurant’s dining area.

Photos taken by firefighters show the car smashed through the shrubs lining the exterior of the building and collapsed an entire section of the restaurant. Debris was scattered throughout the interior.

Police said another juvenile, a male, was in the car at the time. He was also taken to the Northeast Georgia Youth Detention facility but was later released to his parents.

Both juveniles appeared uninjured and refused any medical treatment at the scene. One worker in the back of the restaurant was unharmed.

The female faces multiple charges for the stolen vehicle, eluding a police officer, and numerous traffic charges.