3 dead, several injured after car crashes into 99 Ranch Market in Westwood

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Three people were killed and several others injured when a silver Mercedes sedan crashed into the 99 Ranch Market in Westwood on Thursday.The driver, identified only as an older woman, first hit a bicyclist, then continued for about a block before crashing into the grocery store, trapping multiple people beneath her car, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.Authorities say they do not believe the crash, which occurred at Westwood Boulevard and Rochester Avenue at 12:11 p.m., was intentional.Two men, ages 30 and 55, and a woman, 42, died at the scene, the Fire Department said.Four people were hospitalized: Two men, both 35, were in critical condition, and two other men, 37 and 38, had minor injuries, the department said.

The building sustained damage but officials determined there is no ongoing structural instability.The driver and bicyclist declined to be taken to a hospital, according to the department.Nick Derobbio, 28, was driving nearby when he saw the 2023 Mercedes Benz C class crash into the market.

In the next few minutes, he said, he saw bystanders pull an unresponsive man out of the building.He visits the bakery often and waits for his food “literally where the car is right now,” he said, motioning to where tables and chairs are normally situated for customers.Investigators are trying to determine what led to the crash, including whether the driver suffered a medical issue, said Lyndsey Lantz, a public information officer with the Fire Department.

The sedan struck the bicyclist as he was crossing Wellworth Avenue and Westwood Boulevard right outside a clothing and music store, said store operations manager Sean Divekar, 32.“I can’t tell you how many coffees I’ve gotten in that bakery,” he said, referring to the market’s street-level bakery, his eyes filling with tears as he learned of the death toll.He and his business partner, Masood Ahmad, were...