Truck Crashes Into Montclair Taco Stand

MONTCLAIR, CA – A pickup truck plowed into a taco stand near the intersection of Ramona Avenue and Phillips Avenue in Montclair around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, June 21, injuring multiple people and prompting a California Highway Patrol investigation, according to the agency’s traffic log.

The truck struck several parked cars before veering into the outdoor food vendor, the CHP said. Initial reports from the scene indicated that multiple victims were trapped beneath the vehicle. As of Monday, the precise number of people injured and the severity of their conditions had not been confirmed by authorities.

Montclair is located in San Bernardino County, roughly 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

The cause of the crash — and whether speed, impairment, or mechanical failure played a role — remains under investigation. No information on the driver’s identity or condition had been released.

If you or a loved one was injured in this accident, we’d like to speak with you. Our accident attorneys are available for a free and confidential consultation, 24/7.

Taco Stand Intersection Accident History

The neighborhood around Ramona Avenue has seen its share of serious traffic crashes over the years. In February 2023, two pedestrians were killed at the intersection of Holt Boulevard and Ramona Avenue when a vehicle struck them and fled the scene. A 2020 rollover at Howard Street and Ramona Avenue left two people dead and a 5-year-old child hospitalized with serious injuries.

Taco stands and street food vendors are a common and legally recognized fixture along commercial corridors throughout San Bernardino County. Under California Senate Bill 972, enacted in 2022, sidewalk vending operations — including stationary food stands — are permitted on public rights of way, subject to county health and business license requirements. That legal framework places vendors and their customers directly adjacent to active roadways, and by extension, in the path of any vehicle that leaves the travel lane.

Civil Liability Under California Law

When a vehicle leaves its lane and strikes pedestrians or bystanders in a non-roadway setting, California civil law provides multiple avenues for injured victims and their families to pursue compensation.

The foundational standard is negligence under Civil Code § 1714, which holds that every person is responsible for injuries caused to others through a want of ordinary care. A driver who loses control of a vehicle and strikes people standing near a taco stand — absent any superseding cause — presents a straightforward negligence case. The central questions in such a case focus on what caused the driver to leave the roadway, whether the driver breached the standard of care, and what damages the victims sustained.

Vehicle Code § 21950 separately requires drivers to yield to pedestrians lawfully present on sidewalks and in crosswalks. Street food customers and vendors gathering at a lawfully operating stand on or adjacent to a sidewalk fall within the class of people that provision protects.

If investigation establishes that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash, California Penal Code sections governing driving under the influence can support a civil claim for punitive damages in addition to compensatory recovery. Punitive damages, governed by Civil Code § 3294, are available when a plaintiff demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with malice, oppression, or conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others.

Injured victims in a case like this may recover for a range of economic and non-economic damages: past and future medical expenses, lost earnings, permanent disability or disfigurement, and pain and suffering. Under CCP § 335.1, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in California is two years from the date of injury. Families of anyone who does not survive such a crash may bring a wrongful death action under CCP §§ 377.30 and 377.60, with the same two-year period running from the date of death.

Third-party liability is also worth examining as the investigation proceeds. If the truck belonged to an employer and the driver was operating it in the course of employment at the time of the crash, the employer may be liable under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Depending on the circumstances — defective brakes, steering failure, tire blowout — product liability claims against a vehicle manufacturer or component supplier could also come into play.

What Injured Montclair Victims Should Do Now

Anyone injured in the Montclair taco stand crash, or any family member of someone who was injured, should seek medical attention immediately and preserve documentation of all treatment. Witness accounts, photographs, and any available surveillance footage from nearby businesses can be critical to establishing the facts of what happened — and that evidence can disappear quickly.

Call J&Y Law Today

If you or someone you love was injured in the Montclair taco stand crash, J&Y Law is available to review your case at no cost. Our attorneys represent victims of serious traffic accidents and pedestrian crashes throughout California on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Co-founded by attorney Yosi Yahoudai, J&Y Law has guided California injury victims and their families through the civil justice process for years. To speak with a member of our team, call us or contact us through our website.