A vehicle plowed into and injured pedestrians at the entrance of a Safeway grocery store in Truckee, a scenic California mountain town, on Saturday afternoon, injuring four people including children, according to police. Town officials said the incident occurred when a 49-year-old man drove into the front of the Truckee Safeway and that the victims’ injuries were not life-threatening.
Truckee police said they believe the man intentionally struck the pedestrians and the store. Police identified him as coming from Coalinga, a city in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and said they detained him minutes after the crash.
Truckee Police said the driver was booked on charges related to assault with a deadly weapon, felony vandalism and probation violation. Authorities said he was jailed in a facility in Nevada City, the seat of Nevada County and about an hour’s drive from Truckee across a 7,000-foot mountain pass. There was no public contact or attorney listed for the driver as of Saturday evening, police said.
Shoppers described a chaotic scene at the store entrance after the vehicle struck pedestrians. Scotty Mathewson said he was shopping with his wife when he heard the crash and “frantic screaming,” and that he ran to help while his wife called 911. Mathewson said a boy’s baseball team was raising money at a table in front of the store, and parents were trying to reunite with their kids.
Mathewson said he and other bystanders helped ensure no one was trapped under rubble or the pickup. He also said pedestrians and shoppers screamed at the driver and tried to open the vehicle, but its doors were locked. Mathewson said the driver remained inside and “calmly sitting in there” until police arrived.
Truckee, which has about 17,000 residents, is known for its winter recreation and its proximity to Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake, police said. February is typically a busy month for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing, the town said.