Slick road conditions are partially to blame for a crash over the Christmas holiday weekend in which a car went through the window of a popular restaurant in downtown Howell.

The crash happened around 4:30pm Saturday at Diamonds Steak & Seafood restaurant and is being attributed to snowy road conditions, speed and an inexperienced driver. Officers with the Howell Police Department were dispatched on a report of a minivan that crashed through the front window of the restaurant at the corner of Grand River and Michigan Avenue.

Police Chief George Basar says officers arrived and found that a 19-year-old female had tried to negotiate a turn from westbound Grand River onto southbound Michigan Avenue. He says different factors contributed to the crash but roads were snow covered and slippery at the time so the woman lost control and careened into the front window.

Basar says a witness noted the vehicle was traveling faster than what would be considered a prudent speed given the road conditions. He noted there were no signs of any drug or alcohol use, and it was simply a matter of road conditions and an inexperienced driver. The woman was cited for careless driving and violation of a restricted license.

Restaurant officials explained via a social media post it was lucky that nobody was in the building nor was the driver injured. Teams of crews worked over the holiday period to get everything cleaned up and repaired so they could resume normal business operations today. (JM)