A car drove through the front door of the Trader Joe’s in the Calle Real Shopping Center in Goleta on Saturday morning, causing major injuries to one shopper, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Emergency personnel responded to the store at 5767 Calle Real at 9:48 a.m. and found a Toyota Prius had driven into the building, fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said.
He said one shopper inside the store suffered major injuries and was taken by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Two children in the store had minor injuries and were checked at the scene, but not taken to the hospital.
The driver, an 85-year-old man, had minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
“While the cause of the collision has not been determined, it appears that while the driver was in the process of parking he drove at a high rate of speed into the front entrance of the store,” Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.
The driver was cooperative with authorities and released, she said. His identity was not disclosed, nor were the identities of the victims.
Alcohol or drugs do not appear to be a factor in the wreck, she added.
The Sheriff’s Department is investigating the cause of the crash, and anyone with information is asked to contact Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer at 805.961.7514.
Trader Joe’s was closed for several hours after the crash, which left quite a mess of the store’s entrance area.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
