An elderly driver was seriously injured in a Los Gatos coffee shop crash on Thanksgiving night after his car slammed through the front of a café in the town’s historic centre, according to police. Officers from the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department were called to the Roasting Company just after 9pm on Thursday.
The driver, identified by police as a 90-year-old resident of Los Gatos, had to be extricated from the vehicle by responding firefighters. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition following the Los Gatos coffee shop crash.
A photograph released after the crash shows a black sedan inside the premises with extensive damage to the storefront and interior. The vehicle appears to have punched through the glass façade and come to rest amid debris from the collapsed frontage and shop fittings.
Los Gatos coffee shop crash: how the Thanksgiving incident unfolded
Police say the Los Gatos coffee shop crash occurred on Thanksgiving night, when the car left the roadway and ploughed into the Roasting Company on Main Street. The incident took place in the heart of the Silicon Valley town, which sits on the edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is known for its independent shops and long-established coffee houses.
According to the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, officers were dispatched just after 9pm, arriving to find the car fully inside the building following the crash. Fire crews from Santa Clara County worked to safely remove the driver from the wrecked vehicle before he was transported for medical treatment.
Crucially, the café was closed and unoccupied at the time of the Los Gatos coffee shop crash, and the 90-year-old man was the only person inside the vehicle. No additional injuries were reported, a fact the community and the shop’s owners have highlighted as a relief given how busy the venue can be during normal trading hours.
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Los Gatos coffee shop crash: police examine possible role of alcohol
Investigators say they are examining whether alcohol played a role in the Los Gatos coffee shop crash. In a statement, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department noted that alcohol is suspected as a factor, but stressed that all circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Los Gatos coffee shop crash is being treated as a single-vehicle collision, and officers have not announced any arrests or charges related to the crash as of the latest updates. Police have asked anyone with information, including witnesses or those with video from the area on Thanksgiving night, to contact the department as the inquiry continues.
Authorities also emphasised that, while the Los Gatos coffee shop crash caused major damage to the building, the absence of customers and staff inside at the time prevented a far more serious outcome. Local coverage has described the incident as a stark reminder of the risks posed by high-speed impacts into occupied commercial spaces.
Los Gatos coffee shop crash: damage to café and community impact
The Los Gatos coffee shop crash left the storefront of the Roasting Company heavily damaged, with the façade torn open and fixtures destroyed. Images shared after the incident show the black sedan surrounded by shattered glass, broken timber, and collapsed interior structures, underscoring the force of the impact.
Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company, founded in the early 1980s, is regarded as a long-running local institution and gathering place for residents. Regulars have expressed shock at the extent of the destruction following the crash, while also voicing support for the business as it begins the process of assessing repairs and planning for reopening.
In the wake of the crash, the owner has thanked the community for its messages and noted that updates will be shared as plans for rebuilding and reopening take shape. For now, the focus remains on the driver’s recovery and on the police investigation into exactly what led to the Thanksgiving night collision.
Sources:
KTVU – “90-year-old crashes into Los Gatos coffee shop: police”
San Francisco Chronicle – “Suspected DUI driver smashes into Los Gatos coffee shop.”
