Shamokin Dam restaurant razed six months after violent crash
Sep. 8—SHAMOKIN DAM — A demolition crew Wednesday took down a portion of the Shamokin Dam building destroyed in a violent March crash that ended with a vehicle occupied by a 43-year-old woman and her 18-month-old child crashing onto its roof.
Shamokin Dam Manager Ed Hovenstine said Jeff Adams applied for a permit from the municipality to demolish a portion of the building formerly occupied by Golden Chopsticks at 3004 N Susquehanna Trail.
The adjacent Kratzer Oil Co. gas station was not damaged and remains open.
Building owner Georgine Kratzer said earlier that she planned to rebuild. She was unavailable Wednesday for comment.
The restaurant was closed immediately following the March 4 crash that borough police say was caused by Teresa Risso, a Selinsgrove resident who was driving with a blood-alcohol level of .327, more than four times the legal limit, when she struck several vehicles while speeding southbound on Routes 11-15. After smashing through the vehicles, Risso's 2017 BMW hit a concrete barrier and a parked vehicle occupied by two people and flipped onto the roof of the restaurant.
The impact caused a fire and substantial damage to the restaurant. Several people were hurt in the crash, including James Haught, 47, of Shamokin Dam, who suffered a broken back and other injuries, and a restaurant employee.
Risso's toddler daughter was improperly strapped in a car seat in the rear of the BMW but escaped injury. After spending four days in the hospital, Risso was released and later jailed on numerous felony charges, including aggravated assault, child endangerment and drunk driving.
She posted $200,000 bail in August and is awaiting trial in Snyder County Court. Under the terms of bail, Risso is not allowed to drive a motor vehicle or consume alcohol.
