Dashcam video shows 92-year-old driver crash into Westwood market, killing 3

Newly released dashcam video shows the shocking moment a 92-year-old driver slammed into a Westwood grocery store, killing two employees and a customer and injuring others inside the bakery after striking a bicyclist about a block away, authorities said. The video, recorded by a passerby, shows a silver car traveling along Westwood Boulevard before veering toward the sidewalk and crashing straight through the glass front of a 99 Ranch Market near Rochester Avenue just after noon Thursday. Authorities said the woman driving the vehicle hit a bicyclist before continuing down the street and then swerving into the bakery section, where several people were gathered. Los Angeles fire officials said the three people killed — two men, ages 30 and 55, and a 42-year-old woman — died at the scene. Two men, both 35, were taken to the hospital in critical condition, the AP reports, while two others, ages 37 and 38, were hospitalized in fair condition. The bicyclist and the driver declined offers to be transported to a hospital, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. KTLA’s Eric Spillman reported Friday morning that a fire department spokesperson told the Associated Press the 92-year-old driver was cooperating with investigators, was not injured and would not face criminal charges. Police described the crash as accidental and said it is not believed to have been intentional. Firefighters arriving on scene found several victims trapped beneath the vehicle inside the bakery area and moved the car to reach patients, but three people were pronounced dead. Witnesses told KTLA they were stunned by what they saw. One woman who had just left the bakery said the car appeared to accelerate rather than stop after hitting the bicyclist. “I would think you would stop, but instead of her stopping, she pressed on the gas,” she said. “We couldn’t believe it. We were like, ‘Why is she going so fast?’” By Friday morning, the front of the Westwood store had been boarded up, and flowers were left outside in memory of the victims. Investigators continue working to determine what caused the driver to lose control. Officials have said they are examining whether a medical emergency or mechanical failure played a role.  Authorities also noted they are looking into the possibility of “pedal misapplication,” when a driver mistakenly presses the accelerator instead of the brake, though no cause has been confirmed. The store remains closed as the investigation continues.