Viral video: Taxi crashes into Sharjah restaurant after driver confuses pedals

A restaurant manager in Sharjah confirmed to Khaleej Times that no injuries took place after a vehicle crashed into its entrance on the evening of January 20.

A video circulating online shows a taxi ramming into one of the glass doors of Bundoo Khan restaurant in the emirate's Al Nabba area, leading to a shattered glass door and major damage to the front exterior of the car.

Fazal Rahman Abbasi, the general manager running the Pakistani restaurant, said the incident took place at around 8.30pm when few customers were inside.

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"Luckily, nobody was near the door and everyone was safe. The driver of the taxi was also shaken but did not get injured."

According to Fazal, the crash happened after the driver accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes in a panicked state when a car behind honked on the narrow road.

The video shows the air bags of the car immediately burst on impact, keeping the driver safe.

Fazal revealed the police quickly arrived to the scene to assist both parties and ensure everyone's safety. "Our damage will be covered in insurance and we are hoping the door will be fixed by tomorrow."

The restaurant, which opened a year ago, is continuing to serve customers despite the incident.

Previous incidents

2005: A shop owner was slightly injured after a driver rammed into Al Ain's Romany Fashion Store. The incident took place as the driver tried to enter the front parking near the shop when another station car came from the opposite side; while trying to avoid a crash, he drove into the shop instead of using the brakes.

2005: A man was injured after his car crashed into the Quality Computers showroom on King Faisal Street in Sharjah, causing a loss of approximately Dh40,000.

2006: A woman smashed into a Parilok textiles near Sharjah Cinema in Rolla, breaking the window panes and completely getting into the showroom.

2011: A drunk driver crashed into a Sharjah restaurant, leaving one worker seriously injured and another worker and customer with minor injuries. The driver was then arrested.

2013: A driver was charged for drunk driving, killing three people and injuring three others, damaging others’ property (his car and the restaurant facade and interior), while driving with an expired driving licence.

2013: Three people were killed in Dubai after a car spun out of control at a high speed and crashed into the kitchen of a restaurant. Two Asian workers were killed on the spot, and two others were injured. A third worker later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The driver, who was under the influence at the time, also sustained minor injuries.

2013: An SUV, driven by a UAE national in his twenties, rammed into a decoration shop in Fujairah after the driver lost control of the vehicle. Nobody was injured in the accident.

2016: A woman crashed into a restaurant in Ajman, causing injury to two women, a man and a child, who were having a meal. The motorist also sustained injuries after accidentally pressing the accelerator while parking instead of the brake.

2016: A 23-year-old Emirati driver who suffered an epilepsy attack lost control and crashed into a McDonald's, leading to the death of a 45-year-old Indian woman and 10-year-old Iraqi boy on the spot. Four people, including children, were also injured during the incident, which took place at a petrol station in Al Humaidiya area in Ajman.

2018: A motorist crashed into an ATM booth at Dubai's Burjuman shopping centre after losing control over his vehicle. The accident caused minor injuries to two residents, including the driver.

2018: An Emirati woman sustained minor injuries and lost consciousness after crashing her car into the storefront of a furniture shop in Khor Fakkan.

2018: One woman died and two others were injured after a car crashed into a store front in Sharjah on the second day of Eid. 

2021: A 38-year-old woman of Asian origin crashed her car into a commercial outlet at Maysaloon along Al Zahra Street in Sharjah and caused damages to its glass door at the entrance. The accident happened due to over-speeding; however, no injuries were reported.

2021: Three workers were injured after a vehicle crashed through a shop on the side of a road in Dubai's Al Raffa area. The driver had reportedly lost control of the vehicle. Workers who were in the area at the time of the accident had to be treated for minor injuries and legal action was taken against the driver.

2023: A speeding vehicle crashed into a chocolates and flowers store in Dubai on Al Wasl Road, during which no injuries were reported.

2025: A SUV crashed at a shopping complex in Dubai's Umm Suqeim, ramming into the Mumuso store at the Spinneys building in Jumeirah on August 31. The driver lost control due to sudden confusion, which led her to press the gas pedal instead of the brake.

2025: A Dubai court fined an Asian man Dh10,000 and also suspended his driving license for three months, and banned him for two years from transferring or depositing money for others, either directly or through intermediaries, without prior approval from the UAE Central Bank in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, after he crashed into a beauty centre.