Photo courtesy of Bridgeport Police Department CRASHED – This photo shows 7th District Appeals Court Judge Mark Hanni’s vehicle after it crashed into an Arby’s in Bridgeport on April 11. Neither he nor his passenger were injured.

Appeals Court Judge Mark A. Hanni crashed his vehicle into a Bridgeport fast-food restaurant, causing “significant damage to the structure,” according to a police report.

Hanni, a 7th District Court of Appeals Court judge, was treated for “minor glass cuts” and his passenger, Zachary Miller, an attorney, was not injured in the April 11 accident at an Arby’s, according to the police report from the village obtained Tuesday by The Vindicator. Hanni wasn’t ticketed for crashing his 2017 Cadillac Escalade into the building.

Hanni and Miller told police that they were sitting in the restaurant’s parking lot eating lunch with the vehicle, with a Hanni campaign sign on it, not in park. The vehicle began to roll forward and Hanni accidentally pressed the gas pedal rather than the brake, causing the Escalade to jolt forward and into the building, according to the police report.

The crash shattered windows at the restaurant and caused damage to the building’s interior and exterior, according to photos taken by an officer at the scene.

After that, the vehicle, which appeared to have minimal damage, was backed out of the building.

Hanni, elected to the appeals court in 2022, is running in next week’s Republican primary for a different seat on the same court.

Just last week, Hanni; his wife, Trumbull County Recorder Dawn Zinni-Hanni; and Trumbull County were sued by Tod Latell, a former Trumbull recorder, in federal court over allegations of civil conspiracy, defamation, abuse of political authority or influence, and internal infliction of emotional distress. Hanni and Zinni-Hanni said they welcome the lawsuit as it will reveal the truth.

Also, Hanni recently filed a motion requesting to intervene in a federal case by a Democratic Ohio Supreme Court justice that seeks to overturn a 2021 state law requiring party affiliation for appeals court and Ohio Supreme Court candidates.

Hanni is running in next week’s Republican primary against David “Chip” Comstock Jr., an attorney and Western Reserve Joint Fire District chief.

Katherine E. Rudzik filed as a write-in candidate in the upcoming Democratic primary for the appeals court seat.

The appeals district includes Mahoning, Columbiana, Belmont, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble counties.