Story by Alicia Steele, Staff writer

A Murray State student from India, while learning to drive, cracked the wall of Mr. J’s Grill and Pub Tuesday night after she drove into a parked Chevrolet Trailblazer, pushing it 3 feet into the side of the building.

“She turned right coming off of Hughes Drive, and she just kept on turning right. She didn’t even straighten out,” said Andy Eckert, who works security at Mr. J’s.

Eckert said he was sitting on the steps to the side of the pub when he saw her coming and jumped out of the way.

“She hit the car and then pushed the car into the building,” Eckert said. “So J’s has a cracked wall inside.”

Eckert said he was the one who called 911.

The driver, who was in tears after the collision, declined to comment to The News.

James Hudgins, owner of Mr. J’s, said they have 18-wheelers make the turn every day and nothing like that has ever happened.

“We’re not talking slowly — she plowed it,” Hudgins said.

Hudgins said he will have to get an estimate from a contractor to fix the crack in the wall and they have some repair work to do, but he is just glad everyone is safe.

“She didn’t do it on purpose; I don’t know what happened, but that was not intentional,” Hudgins said. “It’s just one of those freak incidents.”

Hudgins was in the pub listening to a live band when the car hit the wall.

“I thought the drummer just hit the drum too hard,” he said.

Mr. J’s will remain open for business while they seek to repair the crack.