A car struck a utility pole and a tree before slamming into the front window of a restaurant at Lancaster Avenue and Ardmore Avenue early Wednesday, according to Merion Fire Company.
Station 25 volunteers arrived at the scene at 12:46 a.m. and found the vehicle lodged in the storefront. Crews secured the area, eliminated potential hazards, and brought the incident under control, the fire company said in an alert posted by Graham Fuller.
No injuries were reported.
Fire company urges caution
The crash occurred in the heart of Ardmore's downtown business district, on one of Lower Merion Township's busiest commercial corridors. The intersection of Lancaster and Ardmore avenues sits steps from shops, restaurants, and pedestrian traffic.
In its alert, the Merion Fire Company urged drivers to stay attentive, obey posted speed limits and wear seat belts, particularly during late-night and early-morning hours.
The incident is the second Ardmore-area crash Merion Fire Company has responded to in recent weeks. As we reported July 21, a car flipped onto its roof at Church and Argyle roads; the driver in that case exited safely.
Township crash data
Lower Merion Township recorded 1,149 reportable motor vehicle crashes in 2025, three of them fatal, according to Lower Merion Police Chief Andy Block as cited in the Haverford Civic Association's June 2026 newsletter.
A red-light camera on Lancaster Avenue at Remington Road went live on Friday, May 15, and issued 936 warnings during its initial 60-day phase-in period, Block said in the same report.
