Two men from Emporia were hospitalized after their car ran into the former Elmo’s Bar about four miles north of Newkirk late Sunday morning, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Nur M. Dahir, 40, was driving a 1989 Chevrolet north on U.S. 77 when the car ran off the road, went through a fence and struck the building.
Dahir was taken first to the Ponca City Medical Center and then transferred to Via Christy Regional Medical Center in Wichita in stable condition with head, trunk and internal injuries.
A passenger, A. Abdikarim M. Ali, 43, was admitted to the Ponca City hospital in stable condition with head, trunk and internal injuries.
Seatbelts were not in use, Trooper Allen Young reported. He cited unsafe speed as a cause of the accident.
The Arkansas City Fire Department sent one ambulance to the scene. Paramedics assisted Newkirk ambulance but did not transport any patients, according to Ark City Fire Chief Randy Leach.