Vehicle slams into Detroit food truck, causes injuries and significant damage

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A pickup truck slammed into a food truck in Detroit, injuring two men inside and leaving major damage to their business.

The crash took place on Livernois Avenue near Glendale Avenue, on Detroit’s west side, on July 7. The incident was captured on security video from a nearby business, but the cause remains unknown at this time.

Raphael Williams and his son Jermaine Williams say they are thankful to be alive, as they were both launched out of the food truck after the vehicle crashed into it.

"As you can see in the video, it looked like (the driver was) not paying attention at all," Raphael said. "They didn’t even touch the brake. I was filling up the fryers with grease and I flew out the truck."

Both father and son were injured. 

Raphael suffered a gash to the forehead which required stitches, a bruised chest, road rash and more. His mobility since the crash is limited.

"I got like six holes in my leg. I got stitches… (and) bruises all over," Raphael said. "(Jermaine) was on the end. He flew out, he just got a scratched knee… so he’s good. I’m the one who just got the most injuries."

Jermaine told FOX 2 he was worried about his father after the crash.

"I was terrified because I thought my dad was gone. He had blood dripping down his face and he was groaning," the son said. 

Raphael had just told Jermain to get on the truck, about 15-20 minutes prior to the crash.

"If he would have been down on the end, he probably wouldn’t be here today," the father and business owner said.

There were at least two people in the pick-up truck, sources told FOX 2. But it is unclear how badly they were hurt.

The damage to Raphael’s soul food business of four years, Unity Catering RBG, is catastrophic.

"Total damage is about at least $30,000 worth," Raphael said. "I got to do the electrical work, I got to get the propane back, the gas lines back on, the plumming back on, the electrical work back on… got to buy a whole new generator."

Raphael put together a GoFundMe page, hoping to get his life's work fixed so he can get back downtown before summer is over.

"This is my only income. I make good money; a lot of people love the food," Raphael said. "Just set me back a little bit."

The crash is still under investigation.

To donate to Raphael's GoFundMe, which will help him fix his food truck, click here.