By Gao Yun
A fatal car accident occurred around noon on Thursday, Feb 5 in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, when a Mercedes sedan suddenly drove into the 99 Ranch Market on Westwood Boulevard, killing three people and injuring six others. The driver was a 92-year-old woman. California police stated on Friday, Feb. 6 that the elderly woman initially clipped a bicyclist while making a left turn before crashing into the 99 Ranch Market. Police have preliminarily classified the incident as accidental, and the detailed cause remains under investigation.
According to California police and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the accident occurred shortly after 12:00 PM in the 1300 block at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Rochester Avenue.
CBS reported that aerial footage from the scene shows the vehicle completely inside the store, with severe front-end damage, and significant destruction to the exterior wall, interior shelves, and fixtures. Glass fragments, shopping bags, and food debris were scattered across the scene, creating chaotic visuals.
Video obtained by the California Post shows that seconds after the crash, the driver appeared dazed, sitting inside the damaged Mercedes, with the front passenger-side door open and the window shattered. A victim was lying on the hood. The videographer, speaking in Spanish, urged the driver, “Please don’t move,” to prevent further injury. Exclamations of “Someone’s dead” can be heard, along with instructions to bystanders to keep a safe distance. Later footage shows people trying to clear debris and call emergency responders.
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The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that three people died at the scene: a 55-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman, and a 30-year-old man. Two of the deceased were store employees, and one was a customer. The Los Angeles County coroner confirmed that the 42-year-old victim was Deris Renjo.
Six others injured
Six others sustained injuries of varying severity, including two critically injured 35-year-old men currently receiving hospital treatment; a 38-year-old man and a 37-year-old man were moderately injured and in stable condition. The driver and the initially clipped bicyclist were also evaluated at the scene but were not hospitalized.
Police are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the accident. It is not yet clear whether the driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, or if panic caused the error. The vehicle, a Mercedes, will have its onboard computer examined for potential mechanical faults. Authorities will also review the elderly driver’s medical and driving records to determine whether she was legally qualified to drive and whether any health or vision limitations applied.
The woman is currently cooperating with the investigation. Following the incident, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement expressing condolences to the victims and promising city support for affected families. She said the sudden tragedy shocked the community and reignited public discussion on the safety of public spaces and senior drivers.
After the accident, the supermarket was tagged with yellow warning labels. Structural engineers confirmed the building’s overall stability, but cleanup and repairs are required. 99 Ranch Market is a Chinese-American supermarket chain with more than twenty locations in California. The site of the incident is near UCLA, a typically high-traffic area.
