Man charged in crash that killed 1, injured 3 at popular Siler City diner
A man who police say crashed his SUV into a popular Siler City hamburger restaurant Friday afternoon, injuring three people and killing a fourth person, has been arrested.
John Salvatore Graviano, 60, was charged with misdemeanor death by a vehicle, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and driving left of center, the Siler City Police Department said in a release Saturday.
Graviano was traveling west on U.S. 64 when he collided his white Chevrolet Equinox with a vehicle and drove into oncoming traffic, police said. He then exited the road and drove into the parking lot of Johnson’s Drive-In, where he struck four pedestrians who were waiting outside for their order to be prepared, then crashed into the restaurant itself.
A 64-year-old man struck by the car, whose name is being withheld at the request of his family, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A 77-year-old woman was airlifted to UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill and is in serious but stable condition, according to police.
Two other pedestrians, a 39-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man were taken to Chatham Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
According to police, the dining room at Johnson’s Drive-In had been closed because of COVID-19. Customers can only order at a walk-up window or online for takeout.
The investigation is ongoing, and Siler City police have asked anyone with information about the crash to contact the department at 919-742-5626.
The restaurant, often mentioned in lists for best burgers in North Carolina, posted the following message on Facebook Friday afternoon: “A car crashed into the front of the building earlier today. We are not yet clear on all of the details. We will be closed for an undetermined amount of time. Please pray for those who were injured.”
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This story was originally published October 8, 2021 at 6:46 PM.
