30 injured after suspected drunken driver crashes into restaurant, police say

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - Police say more than two dozen people were injured after a suspected drunken driver crashed into an Elks Lodge restaurant in Arizona.

According to Officer Darrin Hatch with Apache Junction Police, authorities received a 911 call from a patron at the Elks Lodge on Saturday night. Police say 73-year-old Thomas Kain was at the bar around 7:30 p.m. then got into his Ford pickup truck and crashed into the front of the building.

“It looks like it was a pretty chaotic scene,” Hatch told AZ Family. “I can only imagine. I did see surveillance video of the scene, and it looked pretty packed in there when the incident occurred.”

In total, police say 30 people were injured, 10 of whom were hospitalized. Fifteen people were treated at the scene, and five people drove themselves to local hospitals for minor injuries.

Authorities confirmed one victim is in critical but stable condition. The other victims have non-life-threatening injuries, ranging from deep cuts to fractures.

Hatch says the victims are older, but their exact ages haven’t been released.

“I haven’t seen anything like this here in Apache Junction,” Hatch said. “I’m just grateful that nobody is seriously hurt, where life-threatening injuries are involved, because that’s one of my biggest questions when I get to scenes like this.”

Kain was arrested, but it’s unclear what charges he may face. Investigators suspect he was under the influence at the time of the crash.

The City of Apache Junction said in a statement following the crash that “our hearts go out to everyone affected by this incident. We extend our deepest concern and support to the victims and their families and want to acknowledge our first responders who are working tirelessly to support them during this time.”

Authorities shared the following warning on the dangers of drinking and driving: “We are grateful that there were no fatalities, and this story could have ended very differently. We want everyone to remember that drunk driving can have serious consequences, not just for the driver but for everyone around them.”

Police say the state Department of Liquor Licenses and Control is doing a separate investigation into the crash.