A pickup crashed through the front of Eva’s Dairy Cafe on Monday morning. No one was injured in the crash and no one was inside of the building, police said. Photo by Sherman Rogers

By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
LAKE ORION — A Lake Orion landmark received substantial damage after a pickup truck crashed through the front of the building on Monday morning.
The Lake Orion Police Department received the call at 8:55 a.m. Feb. 12 that a 2000 GMC gray pickup truck had driven through the front of Eva’s Dairy Café, 465 N. Park Boulevard, said Lake Orion Police Chief Todd Stanfield.
The 22 year old driver was on his way to work when the accident happened, Stanfield said.
“He was a little bit incoherent,” Stanfield said, adding that Orion Township Fire Department EMTs took the man to the hospital for evaluation. “He has no injuries, he’s just a little shaken up.”
Stanfield does not believe drugs or alcohol played a part in the crash.
“I’m not suspecting drugs or alcohol to be a factor in this incident,” Stanfield said. “He was just going to work.”
The Lake Orion police have not issued any citations in the crash and are continuing their investigation.
Eva’s is closed for the winter so the building was empty at the time of the crash. By Monday afternoon the debris had been cleared and the front of the building was boarded up and secured.
Besides the front of the building, Stanfield added that counter tops and ice cream machines were damaged in the accident.
Stanfield spoke with Eva’s owner, who he said informed him that she planned to open in late March.
“I think that might be a little delayed,” Stanfield said. “We’ve already notified the building inspector so he can come out and inspect the building and make sure it’s structurally sound.”
The drive-in ice cream stand and indoor café are a rite of passage in Lake Orion, with generations of residents visiting every summer to eat ice cream and socialize. For many young people in Lake Orion, working at Eva’s was their first job with several returning each summer break.
“We were really bummed out when we heard about the crash. We’ve been going there since the 1980s. Our kids worked there when they were young,” said Lloyed Coe, a Lake Orion business owner and DDA board member. “Eva’s pretty resilient though, so I’m sure she’ll figure it out and rebuild quickly.”
The Lake Orion Police Department announced the crash on its Facebook page on Monday afternoon and
“Eva’s Dairy Cafe, a Lake Orion landmark, received a good amount of damage, and is being secured. We believe that they will overcome this and expect they will reopen this spring for some yummy treats,” the post read.