The way Frank Pulu sees it, the statues that have stood in front of his restaurant in Oak Harbor for years represent more than a tribute to veterans of military service.

Last Friday night, Pulu believes they might have saved a life.

Several statues that stand in front of Frank’s Place restaurant on State Highway 20 were destroyed during a single-car accident that sent the car off the road and resting on its side.

Pulu said the brass replica of the Statue of Liberty took the brunt of the force, and he knew the impact was severe because the massive concrete base in which the statue rested was lifted from the ground. He estimates the base weighed at least two tons.

The accident also took out three other statues, including a sailor and a Seabee, a symbol for the U.S. Naval construction battalion.

The driver, Keith Ferguson, 50, needed to be extricated from his car by the fire department and was  transported to Whidbey General Hospital.

Pulu had heard the driver wasn’t seriously injured.

“If it wasn’t for the statues …” Pulu said, standing in front of his restaurant at a level lower than the street. “I think Lady (Liberty) saved his life and saved the business.”

Ferguson was allegedly driving with a suspended license, according to an Oak Harbor Police Department report. He was issued a notice of infraction by investigation for negligent driving in the second degree and cited for driving with a suspended license.

Frank’s Place was closed at the time of the accident but it was brimming with activity over the weekend after daylight revealed the extent of the damage.

Disheartening to Pulu was the condition of the statues that rested on the veteran’s wall he and community members began building when he opened the restaurant in 2000.

The wall was built as a symbol of appreciation for veterans and their sacrifices and was later extended to represent police and fire and other emergency personnel who make significant sacrifices, Pulu said.

Sailors from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station participated in the project.

Pulu said his first concern was over the driver’s well-being before his focus turned to the monuments that helped make his restaurant unique.

Frank’s Place is decked out in red, white and blue with military memorabilia and photos on the walls. The restaurant is a hangout for veterans.

“This is the pride of Oak Harbor,” said Pulu, who served in the Marines while his wife retired from the Navy.

Ray Ladwig, a Navy retiree, said Frank’s Place is a patriotic place to eat, meet people and swap stories.

Ladwig said he helped build the veteran’s wall in front of the restaurant and said seeing the damage was traumatic to him.

“It’s like a horror story,” Ladwing said. “I was telling myself, ‘It’s a little early to be Halloween.’”

Pulu said they will repair the wall and he would like to replace the statues. He said the insurance he carries on his restaurant doesn’t cover the area in front, which he said is considered landscaping.

But, eventually, the site will be pieced back together.

“I’m really bummed about it,” he said.