Woman Killed at Simi Valley Urbane Cafe After Tesla Crash

SIMI VALLEY, CA — A 79-year-old Agoura Hills woman died Monday afternoon after a Tesla jumped a curb and struck her outside an Urbane Cafe at a Simi Valley shopping center, then continued into the restaurant’s outdoor patio, according to police.

The crash was reported at about 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 29, near Tierra Rejada Road and Madera Road, outside the cafe at a shopping center anchored by a Target store. Simi Valley police Sgt. Rick Morton said a white Tesla was traveling northbound through the parking lot and attempting a right turn toward Madera Road when the driver failed to complete the turn, went over the sidewalk and struck a woman walking near the restaurant. The vehicle then plowed through planters and outdoor furniture before stopping in the dining area, leaving broken chairs, tables and glass on the patio.

Two customers who had stood up to leave their table moments earlier narrowly avoided being struck, police said. First responders found the victim trapped underneath the vehicle; she was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Simi Valley Urbane Cafe Crash Driver

Police identified the driver as a 64-year-old Thousand Oaks woman. Four juveniles were in the vehicle, according to Simi Valley police statements provided to ABC7; one was taken to a hospital with minor injuries as a precaution, while the other three were released to family members at the scene. 

Some accounts citing the same police statement have reported three juvenile occupants rather than four, a discrepancy that has not been resolved in available reporting. Reports likewise diverge on the driver’s condition: ABC7 described her injuries as minor, to her wrist and arm, while other outlets reported moderate injuries and said she was taken to Los Robles Hospital. 

The Ventura County Fire Department told one outlet that six total victims were found at the scene, with four treated for minor injuries in addition to the fatality, while NBC Los Angeles reported that at least six people were struck by the vehicle — a broader account than other outlets, which described only the pedestrian victim as having been struck, with the driver and juveniles injured by the crash’s impact rather than by the vehicle itself. Police have not confirmed which account is accurate. Simi Valley police said Monday there is nothing to indicate drugs or alcohol were a factor, and the cause of the crash, including whether speed or mechanical failure played a role, remains under investigation.

Storefront and Patio Crashes

Crashes in which vehicles strike storefronts or outdoor seating areas are not isolated events. The Storefront Safety Initiative, a research group that tracks vehicle-into-building incidents nationally, has reported that such crashes occur more than 100 times a day across the country, with nearly half resulting in injury and an estimated 2,600 deaths annually. Roughly 40% of these crashes stem from pedal error, in which a driver presses the accelerator instead of the brake, and drivers age 60 and older account for a disproportionate share, representing about 44% of storefront crashes despite making up roughly 19% of licensed drivers nationally, according to the group’s data. Parking lots with limited barriers between vehicle travel lanes and pedestrian or seating areas are a recurring factor cited in such incidents.

California law imposes a duty on drivers to operate vehicles with reasonable care under Civil Code Section 1714, and a driver who fails a turn or strikes a pedestrian in a parking lot can be held liable for resulting injuries or death under ordinary negligence principles. Property owners and tenants, including shopping centers and restaurants with outdoor dining adjacent to vehicle traffic, owe a separate duty to design and maintain premises in a reasonably safe condition, which can include evaluating whether curb stops, bollards or other barriers were adequate given the foreseeable risk of vehicle intrusion.

Should the investigation point to a vehicle malfunction rather than driver error, a product liability claim against the manufacturer could also be implicated, as has occurred in other pending Tesla-related litigation involving alleged sudden acceleration. The victim’s surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure Sections 377.60 and 377.61, and her estate may separately pursue a survival action under Section 377.30 if facts establish conscious pain and suffering before death.

Call J&Y Accident Lawyers Today

J&Y Law represents families across Ventura County, Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases arising from negligent or defective vehicle operation. California’s wrongful death and personal injury claims are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, though claims involving a government entity, such as a public roadway or municipal property, may carry a six-month government tort claim deadline instead. Families do not need to resolve every factual question on their own before speaking with an attorney. J&Y Law handles cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no upfront cost to discuss a potential claim.