Feb. 19--On any other Friday around noon, the activity at Acuna Pizza in Roselle would have centered on feeding lunch to hungry customers.
But this week it was supplanted by the somber work of picking through the wrecked restaurant whose owner died of injuries suffered Wednesday when a van crashed into the storefront.
Custodio "Gus" Acuna, 53, was inside his restaurant about 3 p.m. when the crash occurred, Roselle police said. A Ford Econoline ran off westbound Irving Park Road, hit a traffic light at the Lawrence Avenue intersection and went through a parking lot before plowing into the small restaurant, which is in a strip mall, police said.
Acuna was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, where he later died of his injuries, police said.
The van's driver may have suffered a medical emergency, said police, who are still investigating the crash.
Acuna's wife, Hilda, and other family members were sorting through the damage Friday. His daughter, Janet Acuna, 24, said that her father was in his customary spot when the accident happened -- in the kitchen making food.
"Cooking was his passion," she said, standing inside the demolished store.
There was a large bouquet of flowers in the front window, next to the plywood sheets hung up to cover the collision damage.
The Streamwood resident opened the restaurant in 2010. Janet said her father was born in Mexico but had lived in the Chicago area most of his life. Having his own place was the culmination of a lifetime in the restaurant business, his oldest daughter said.
"After working so many years for other people, he decided to start his own business and create his own stuff," Janet said.
It was not unusual for her father to work seven days a week, Janet said. When he was home, Acuna was always looking to work on something, his daughter said.
"He couldn't sit still for too long," Janet said.
In addition to Janet, Gus and Hilda Acuna had two other children, Ana, 17, and Juan, 20. Janet said family members have not decided whether they will try to reopen the restaurant.
A post on the restaurant's Facebook page offers thanks to "our loyal customers for supporting us through this journey."
Police said two other people were also inside the restaurant at the time of the crash and were taken to the hospital, as was the driver of the van.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.
