On a bright Thursday just after noon, an elderly woman's silver sedan veered off Westwood Boulevard in Los Angeles and crashed into the front of a neighborhood grocery, the 99 Ranch Market, as it does on any busy weekday. Before reaching the store, she had struck a cyclist about a block away, and the momentum carried her into a crowded bakery section where shoppers were going about their errands. Three lives were lost, and several others were carried off to hospitals, a reminder of how quickly an ordinary errand can turn into a tragedy. Authorities are still asking the quiet question that foll
Elderly Driver Rams Westwood Grocery Store, Killing Three; LAPD and LAFD Probe Cause
Three people were killed, including a 42-year-old woman and two men aged 55 and 30, and several others were injured, two seriously, while a cyclist was struck before the crash.
Three people died in a bakery on an ordinary Thursday lunchtime
Mark
Three people died in a bakery on an ordinary Thursday lunchtime. What stands out first?
Mimi
How quickly it unfolded. The driver hit a cyclist about a block away, then reached the store. The fire department puts the crash at 12:11 p.m.
Mark
And the people who died were in the bakery?
Mimi
Reportedly, yes, per ABC7. They were a 42-year-old woman and men aged 55 and 30. Some people were trapped under the car, and firefighters had to move it to reach them.
Luke
Careful with "reportedly." The bakery detail comes from ABC7, not from an official statement we can see. The ages are also attributed to media, not to a formal release.
Mark
Do we know why the driver crashed?
Mimi
Not yet. Investigators are looking at whether she had a medical issue. An official said it doesn't look intentional and is being treated as an accidental traffic collision.
Luke
"So far" is doing real work in that sentence. It's a preliminary read, not a finding. Nobody has confirmed a medical event either; that's only a line of inquiry.
Mark
What about the injured?
Mimi
Four went to hospitals, two seriously. Two more declined transport.
Luke
And the cyclist. We're told the cyclist was struck, but nothing here says how badly they were hurt or whether they're among the four. That's unknown.
Mark
What's left to learn?
Mimi
Cause, the driver's medical evaluation, and whether the building is stable.
El Pulso
- A silver sedan tore off Westwood Boulevard at 12:11 p.m. and slammed into the front of the 99 Ranch Market.
- The driver first struck a cyclist about a block before the store, leaving that rider's fate unclear in the early reports.
- Three people, including a 42-year-old woman and two men aged 55 and 30, died after being pinned beneath the vehicle in the bakery area.
- Crews rushed to lift the car and reach trapped patients while four others were rushed to hospitals, two in serious condition.
- Investigators are probing whether a medical event caused the driver to lose control, and officials say nothing suggests intent.
- Building safety inspectors are checking whether the storefront is structurally sound, and the area remains closed as the investigation continues.
On a bright Thursday just after noon, an elderly woman's silver sedan veered off Westwood Boulevard in Los Angeles and crashed into the front of a neighborhood grocery, the 99 Ranch Market, as it does on any busy weekday. Before reaching the store, she had struck a cyclist about a block away, and the momentum carried her into a crowded bakery section where shoppers were going about their errands. Three lives were lost, and several others were carried off to hospitals, a reminder of how quickly an ordinary errand can turn into a tragedy. Authorities are still asking the quiet question that follows such moments: whether a sudden illness overtook the driver, a matter that will decide whether this is remembered as a failure of health or simply a terrible accident.
Just after noon on Thursday, February 5, 2026, a silver sedan left Westwood Boulevard and drove straight into the front of the 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department placed the crash at 12:11 p.m., at Westwood Boulevard and Rochester Avenue. Three people died.
The driver, an elderly woman, had already struck a bicyclist about a block before the store. She kept going and hit the building. What happened to the cyclist is not yet clear in the reports.
The three people killed were a 42-year-old woman, a 55-year-old man and a 30-year-old man. They were reportedly in the store's bakery when the car came through, and some were initially trapped beneath the vehicle. Crews lifted the car to reach them. Four people were taken to hospitals, two in serious condition, and two others declined transport.
The driver is cooperating and undergoing a medical evaluation. Investigators are working to learn whether she suffered a medical problem. Officials say the crash does not appear intentional and is being treated as an accidental traffic collision.
Mayor Karen Bass said her heart was with the victims and their families, and thanked first responders. The city's Department of Building and Safety is assessing the building's stability, and the area remains closed. What comes next is the cause of the crash and whether the store is structurally sound.
Just after noon on Thursday, February 5, 2026, a silver sedan left Westwood Boulevard and went into the front of the 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles's Westwood neighborhood. The Los Angeles Fire Department put the time of the crash at 12:11 p.m., at Westwood Boulevard and Rochester Avenue. Three people died.
The driver was an elderly woman, preliminarily identified as such by the fire department. About a block before the store, on Westwood Boulevard, she struck a bicyclist. She then continued down the road and hit the building. The source reports do not say what became of the cyclist.
The three people killed were a 42-year-old woman, a 55-year-old man and a 30-year-old man, according to ABC7 and KTLA. They were reportedly inside the store's bakery when the car came through. The department's Lyndsey Lantz told ABC7 Eyewitness News that some people were initially trapped beneath the vehicle. According to the fire department's own update, crews moved the car when they arrived so they could reach multiple trapped patients.
The fire department issued an update shortly before 2 p.m. Four people had been taken to hospitals. Two were in serious condition and two had minor injuries. Two others declined transport against medical advice.
The driver is cooperating with investigators and was undergoing a medical evaluation, the Associated Press reported, citing officials at the scene. Authorities are working to determine what led to the crash, including whether she suffered a medical issue, Lantz said. Los Angeles police officers were still at the scene on Thursday evening trying to piece together what happened. An official identified as Scott said it did not appear to be an intentional act and that nothing suggested ill intent. So far, he said, it is being investigated as an accidental traffic collision.
The city's Department of Building and Safety also responded to assess the stability of the structure. Lantz said the car appeared to have mostly struck the building's windows, as reported by People, citing the Los Angeles Times.
Mayor Karen Bass wrote on Facebook that her heart was with the victims, their families and everyone affected, and she thanked first responders for acting immediately to give critical aid. She said the mayor's Crisis Response team would offer support and resources. She also asked Angelenos to avoid the area while the investigation continues, with the fire and police departments still on scene.
What comes next is the investigators' answer on cause, particularly whether a medical event was involved, along with the building inspectors' finding on whether the store is structurally sound.
Citas Notables
My heart is with the victims, their families, and all who were impacted by the deadly crash.— Mayor Karen Bass
It does not seem to be an intentional act but is being investigated, so far, as an accidental traffic collision.— Scott, official quoted at the scene
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