Elderly Driver Crashes Into Car Dealership, Killing 1 And Injuring 2

LOS ANGELES — An elderly woman appeared to lose control of her vehicle at a car dealership in Mission Hills, killing a customer, injuring two employees and crashing into the building’s reception area, according to officials.

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. Wednesday at Hamer Toyota in the 11000 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. The woman entered the dealership's service drive and hit several people, according to authorities.

A 56-year-old woman was struck and dragged more than 20 feet beneath the SUV as it crashed through a glass-enclosed section of the dealership and came to rest against a cinderblock wall, the department said. The victim had no pulse and was not breathing, but an off-duty nurse provided CPR and the woman was taken to a trauma center in grave condition, where she later died, according to the department.

The two workers — a 23-year-old man with an arm laceration and a 35-year-old man with head and foot injuries — were brought to a hospital in fair to serious condition, authorities said.

The driver, who was not hurt, stayed at the scene and spoke to police, according to the department.

"Though early reports suggest this was a tragic accident, circumstances surrounding the collision remain the focus of an active investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division," the department said in a news release.

The Mayor's Crisis Response Team was summoned to the scene to work alongside the dealership's peer support team in offering crisis support to witnesses and workers.