A man was grabbing a cup of coffee at a Glendale bakery on Thursday when a vehicle suddenly crashed into the bakery he was patronizing, police say. According to reports the man was trapped beneath the vehicle and could not be rescued. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five other people were injured in the fatal accident, but it has not been reported what injuries they suffered or how seriously they were injured. One, at least, had to be taken to a local hospital, according to a spokesperson for the Glendale Fire Department.
The driver of the vehicle was uninjured. She was described by a spokesperson for the Glendale Police as a woman in her 60s, but no information was provided to reporters about the cause of the fatal crash — or even what type of vehicle she had been driving. Apparently, reporters did not reach the scene until much of the wreckage, including the vehicle, had been cleared away.
The fatal crash occurred at Oledina’s Cake Factory, a bakery located on the 1100 block of East Broadway in Glendale.
With so little information, it is impossible to know what could have caused the shocking accident. It is as yet unknown whether the woman was distracted, had a medical issue, experienced a problem with the vehicle or was driving drunk. At last report, the accident was still under investigation.
Whenever a fatal accident occurs, it is a tragedy. When that accident was caused by another party’s negligence, recklessness or wrongdoing, however, it is considered wrongful death. It remains to be seen whether the people affected by this unusual car crash have such a claim. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the tragedy.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Man getting coffee killed when car crashes into Glendale bakery,” Veronica Rocha, March 28, 2013
