Before a car came crashing through the front door of Jimmy John's on Saturday, freshmen Tom Atchison and Tommy Kesler were headed there with a group of friends for dinner around 6:30 p.m.

Atchison, a College of Arts & Sciences student, was making his way to a table in the restaurant where Kesler, a College of Engineering student, was already sitting when a car came crashing through the front door.

"It was like a big wave of glass coming at me," Atchison said. He ducked out of the way and avoided serious injury.

Kesler's roommate Peter Shutt, a freshman in the College of Engineering, was in line to order a sandwich when the accident occurred. After the crash, Shutt and Atchison pushed debris aside to get to the car, to check if anyone was under it.

"The car plowed everything out of the way — a table, chairs, and a couple of people." Shutt said.

"I saw Tommy and another guy pinned between the car and the wall," Atchison said.

He and Shutt put the car in neutral and pushed it back from the wall.

Jim Rusk, a College of Engineering freshman, was about to pay for his meal when he heard a loud noise.

"I saw the car hit the table and then hit Tommy," Rusk said. "I just stood there unable to move. I saw Atchison carry an accident victim out. I wish I could have moved, but couldn't."

Billy Flynn, a College of Business Administration freshman, was also in line to order.

"I heard a screech, turned around, looked out the window and saw the car fishtail," Flynn said. "Then it busted through. There was glass everywhere."

Flynn was wearing flip-flops and did not want to walk out the door because of the broken glass.

"I eventually walked out because the smell of exhaust from the car," Flynn said.

Greg Cox, a College of Business Administration freshman, was in line when he heard the screech outside and saw the car hit something.

"I looked and saw the back of the car from the window by the menu sign," Cox said. "Then I looked toward the door and saw the car go through."

Kesler, who was pinned to the wall, received injuries to his neck and left knee.

"I heard a noise and saw a friend jump out of the way. I tried to do the same," Kesler said. "The next thing I know I'm up against the wall with another guy."

Mark Von Dollen was stuck between the car and some tables.

"It happened so fast I didn't know what was happening," he said. "I lifted one end of the 'No Parking' sign up and Tom lifted the other end up, and Tommy slid free. I hopped over the sign and was carried out."

Von Dollen suffered deep lacerations caused by shards of glass to the left shin and right ankle. Atchison said he carried Van Dollen out.

Sitting at the first table to the right of the door, facing the window, was Amy Stoniecki, a College of Business Administration sophomore.

"I heard the screech, looked out the window and saw the car coming at Jimmy John's," she said.

She jumped up, screamed and ran toward the wall with one of her friends. Then the car broke through the glass.

"I was never so scared before in my life." Stoniecki said.

The car came to a stop and the room began to smell like gas.

"I wasn't sure if the place was going to blow up or not, so I ran out." Stoniecki said.

In her state of shock and hurriedness to evacuate the restaurant, Stoniecki said she was almost hit by a car on Wells Street, which the Department of Public Safety later closed off in front of Jimmy John's.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 22, 2005.