A jaw-dropping clip has surfaced showing the exact moment an SUV crashed through the window of a Houston restaurant, slamming into influencer Nina Santiago and her boyfriend Patrick Blackwood as they filmed a video.
The footage, posted August 18 to the YouTube channel The EX Files, immediately went viral, racking up nearly 200,000 views in under 24 hours, which is an enormous spike for the modest channel that typically averages around 5,000 views per video.
What began as a normal day for the couple, who specialize in eating large quantities of food on camera, turned into a nightmare that nearly caused them to lose their lives.
Viral clip captures the moment when an SUV crashes into a restaurant where an influencer couple was eating
The incident took place Saturday at approximately 4:40 pm inside CuVee’s Culinary Creations in west Houston. The viral footage begins peacefully: Santiago and Blackwood are seated at a table, ready to enjoy a decadent Asian-inspired spread.
The pair filmed their setup, which included different types of meat and vegetables, and greeted their viewers before digging in. Just as Santiago and Blackwood went for a bite, the calm was shattered.
Without warning, a white SUV barreled into the side of the restaurant, slamming directly into the glass panels beside them. The impact caved in the entire window section, blasting shards of glass across the floor and into the couple’s seating area.
The table was shoved backward by the force of the collision. Plates clattered to the floor, food spilled everywhere, and glass landed like shrapnel across the lap of Blackwood, who had been seated just inches from where the vehicle struck.
The pair were safe, but the realization quickly dawned on them: they were inches away from losing their lives.
The couple nearly lost their lives, but sustained only minor lacerations on their faces and arms
Santiago and Blackwood, still wearing the same black shirts from the video, later recorded an update from what appeared to be a hospital room, visibly shaken but grateful. Both bore cuts from the shattered glass.
A deep gash was visible on the side of Blackwood’s face, a clean streak of blood running from his cheek to his jawline.
Santiago, meanwhile, had minor lacerations across her face and neck. Her arm, photographed resting on a medical pad, showed thick, smeared blood from a deeper wound just below her thumb.
Despite the trauma, both spoke calmly into the camera about how grateful they felt that they were alive, with Blackwood thinking about his mother and pets as the gravity of the situation dawned on him.
“Thankful to the universe and our angel pup Loyal, who passed in Nov 2024 and protected us from above,” Blackwood said.
The driver responsible for the crash was identified, but no further information regarding her potential punishment has been provided
According to the restaurant’s owner, the driver of the SUV has been identified, and was heading for a private event at the establishment when she crashed.
“The female driver of the vehicle advised that she thought she had placed the vehicle in park and upon releasing her foot off the brake, the vehicle rolled into the business, striking the building, and breaking the glass,” a spokesperson for Harris County Sheriff’s Office said
“There were two people inside the business, one male and one female, sitting inside in a booth that were injured and transported to a local area hospital.”
No further information has been provided as to the potential consequences for the driver.
Online, fans of the couple reacted with a mix of concern, humor, and relief.
“Every future server: ‘Would you like a window booth?’ Them: ‘NO! We want a table behind a structural support beam, Thank you.’” a user joked.
“Mad respect for the guy, his first response was to protect her. He’s got great instincts,” another wrote.
“My mom’s best friend lost her life this way,” a viewer shared. “I never pick the window seat if there is moving traffic next to it. Glad you guys are ok.”
While the incident was traumatic, the couple’s minor injuries and the massive publicity boost from the viral video ultimately made the whole ordeal a blessing in disguise.
“Apalled.” Netizens took to social media to share wish the influencer couple a speedy recovery
