This Merced restaurant is closed down after truck ran into it

Merced’s Sizzler will be temporarily closed because a car smashed through the southern wall, a manager confirmed Thursday.

Customers were inside the Olive Avenue restaurant on Wednesday when a driver struck the wall, which faces the parking lot, according to manager Esteban Quintero.

A 2000 Ford F-150 backed into the building about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to Merced police. Gregorio Diaz, 61, of Planada was driving the pickup, ran into the back of a FedEx truck and then reversed into the building, police said.

Diaz said the gas pedal was stuck as he reversed into the building, police said. Neither Diaz nor the FedEx driver, Ramsey Houn, 24, of Stockton, reported injuries, police said.

A sign posted on the restaurant’s door by the city’s building department says “DO NOT ENTER! UNSAFE TO OCCUPY.”

Quintero said the owner has spoken to contractors and is working on getting the wall fixed as soon as possible. “It’s definitely going to affect business anytime you’re closed,” he said.

About 45 people work at the Olive Avenue location, Quintero said.

As soon as the wall is fixed and the building is cleared by inspectors, the business can re-open to customers, according to city of Merced spokesman Mike Conway.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation, police said, but drugs and alcohol were not a contributing factor.

This story was originally published August 3, 2017 at 3:28 PM with the headline "This Merced restaurant is closed down after truck ran into it."