A police vehicle crashed into the Butler Penne restaurant on Main Street in Butler late Wednesday evening. The officer was responding to a vehicle accident on Center Avenue at the time and had to swerve to avoid another vehicle at the intersection at Cunningham Street.

A Butler police officer responding to an accident call Wednesday night lost control of his cruiser after swerving to avoid another vehicle and crashed into a downtown business building, according to a police news release.

No one was injured when the police vehicle struck the front of Butler Penne on South Main Street around 9:25 p.m. The restaurant, owned by Bill Atkinson, was closed at the time.

The restaurant's storefront was badly damaged, and four windows were broken. The building sustained no structural damage, said owner Joseph Gray.

The police patrol vehicle was damaged, and it had to be towed from the scene.

Police Chief Bob O'Neill, who issued the release, did not identify the officer involved in the crash that occurred as officers were responding to another call for a wreck involving a vehicle and a bicycle on Center Avenue.

The initial officer was traveling south on Main Street with his emergency lights and siren activated when he approached the Cunningham Street intersection, the release said.

The officer reported that as he was crossing the intersection, a dark-colored Jeep traveled through headed east.

“The officer had to swerve to avoid a collision with this vehicle,” the release said, “but then lost control and drove over a sidewalk striking (the Butler Penne) building at this intersection.”

In the release, O'Neill noted that “numerous witnesses” corroborated the police account.

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The driver of the Jeep returned to the scene and spoke with officers, police said. The driver was not identified, and police did not say if charges would be filed.

Gray also was contacted, police said, and he arrived at his building a short time after the crash.

It was not known when the restaurant would reopen.

“A vehicle crashed through our storefront on Wednesday evening. Luckily, no one was injured,” according to a post Thursday on the Butler Penne Facebook page. “We will be closed while repairs are made and plan to be open again as soon as possible.”

In wake of the crash, O'Neill reminded motorists to “use caution and yield to police vehicles when they are using their lights and siren as they are responding to emergency situations.”