A car crashed into the popular Colonial Drive spot The Moderne Bar early Saturday, and the first responder was an unlikely hero.
A woman is going viral online for helping contact police after the crash occurred around 4 a.m. — because she was dressed in a banana costume while doing it.
Stephanie Oropeza told Orlando’s News 6 she and her fiancé were on their way home from a Halloween party early Saturday morning when they responded to the incident.
No one was injured, but the building’s patio suffered major damage.
Video of the establishment’s exterior shows a car crashing into The Moderne, and then Oropeza in a banana costume springing into action.
The Moderne posted video online asking for help finding the person bar staff had dubbed a “banana hero.”
“At first we were just in shock … it just started off him driving on the opposite side of the road,” Oropeza told News 6. “And then slowly he started just veering into The Moderne.”
Owner of The Moderne Michael Nguyen told News 6 people questioned whether the video was real and asked if it was AI.
“And I was like, ‘No, no, this is really a rogue 4:30 a.m. banana just roaming the streets of Mills, just saving the day, reporting the incident.'”
The Moderne is now back open. The patio, however, is not.
Orlando Police Department has not yet released details about the incident. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
