Sam Khouri, owner of Sam’s Inn on West Shore Road, is saying a thank you prayer.

That may seem odd to those who followed news of the Sept. 14 accident when a car screamed across West Shore Road leaving a path of destruction that closed the restaurant. According to a spokeswoman for Rhode Island Energy a crew was scheduled to restore gas service yesterday allowing the restaurant to reopen.

“By the luck of God, she didn’t kill anyone,” Khouri said of the 24-year old driver of the 2013 Lexus that according to the police report struck an occupied vehicle in front of the Shell gas station, 2411 West Shore Road, then struck an unoccupied vehicle in the parking lot of the gas station and continued into the parking lot of Sam’s Inn, where it struck two unoccupied vehicles before colliding with the restaurant’s exterior refrigeration unit.

It was about 2:40 p.m. and only moments before several of the restaurant’s employees had been standing outside the restaurant facing the service station on a smoking break. Khouri is thankful they were inside as well as a member of the kitchen staff who had just finished dumping trash.

Amazingly, neither the operator of the Lexus, who police found sitting on the roof of her car, or the person in the vehicle at the Shell station sustained serious injury. Both were transported to Kent County Hospital.

No charges were brought against the driver of the Lexus. Major Joel Thomas said she had sustained “a mental health episode.”

Khouri was pleased to learn neither she nor the occupant of the other car were seriously hurt.

On Tuesday, with the restaurant still closed, he was most concerned for his 32 full and part time employees who were out of work. By Wednesday he was hopeful Sam’s Inn would reopen today.