A 53-year-old Santa Barbara man drove his Toyota truck up a State Street sidewalk just past Arlington Avenue during the Saturday brunch hour on October 7, and plowed into a wall at Carlitos Café. A total of five pedestrians suffered minor injuries and were taken to Cottage Hospital; no restaurant patrons were hurt.
The driver, John Dalton, sheared off a lamppost as his truck leapt the curb. He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs; bail was set at $100,000. Firefighters inspected the wall at the time of the incident and determined there had been no structural damage.