These are the words of Jim Lentz:
...Lentz said. “We had gotten lazy.”
That won’t happen again, Lentz vows.
FROM:
TOYOTA is just soooo confusing! Why are owners still complaining?
The cause of the crash was under investigation. The driver of the Toyota Camry that crashed into the building said she wasn’t sure what happened after backing out of a parking space.
“So I think when I put it in drive, something happened,” Yelena Zabokrititsky told NBC4. “It spinned out of control. I couldn’t control the car. I tried to hit the brakes and it just hit the wall. I went straight into that wall.”
Did someone get caught with their pants down?
Fire damages Santa Monica restaurants after driver crashes into building
A Santa Monica building housing two eateries was damaged Wednesday by a stubborn fire that was sparked when a car crashed into the rear of the structure and sheared a natural gas line.
Firefighters sent to the 700 block of Montana Avenue about 8:30 a.m. extinguished the flames in about two hours, according to the Santa Monica Fire Department.
The fire damaged Cafe de Paris and the Spumoni Italian Restaurant, said Santa Monica fire Deputy Chief Tom Clemo. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
A female employee of Cafe de Paris, who was in a restroom near where the Toyota Camry crashed into the building, was hit by some debris and taken to a hospital for treatment of a minor leg injury, authorities said.
The sedan sheared a 3/4-inch natural gas service line and damaged the meter, causing a leak, said Javier Mendoza of the Southern California Gas Co. Utility crews stopped the flow of gas about 10:25 a.m., and worked to make repairs, he said.
The driver of the Camry told police that she hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal while she was parking, said Santa Monica police Sgt. Rudy Camarena.
Yelena Zabokritsky, 46, of Santa Monica, was not cited or arrested, Camarena said.
She told NBC4 that “I think when I put it in drive, something happened. It spinned out of control. I couldn’t control the car. I tried to hit the brakes and it just hit the wall. I went straight into that wall.”
—City News Service
http://mynewsla.com/crime/2015/08/12/car-crashes-into-building-housing-2-santa-monica-eateries-causes-fire/
Car Crashes Into Santa Monica Restaurant, Sparks Fire
Firefighters extinguished a blaze at a restaurant in Santa Monica that was apparently sparked when a car crashed through the back of the business on Wednesday morning.
A restaurant in Santa Monica caught fire after a car crashed into the side of the building on Aug. 12, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)
The incident occurred at Cafe de Paris, which is on Montana Avenue near Seventh Street in a small shopping center. A Spumoni restaurant was located next door to the cafe, but it was unclear whether the flames had spread to the neighboring business.
Fire crews initially responded to a report of a vehicle fire shortly before 8:30 a.m., according to a tweet from the Santa Monica Fire Department.
Around 8:30 a.m., heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from the rear of the cafe and shooting up through its roof, Sky5 video showed.
The car was partially in the building and also on fire. It appeared to have crashed through the business from the parking lot, though it was not immediately known what caused the collision.
Ten minutes later, fire crews appeared to be gaining the upper hand on the blaze in the restaurant.
However, the vehicle was still burning, and firefighters were still working to extinguish the stubborn blaze nearly an hour after the fire started.
Around 10:45 a.m., Santa Monica fire officials said they had extinguished the blaze.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the fire. The business was open when the flames erupted, but it was unknown how many people were inside at the time.
Authorities also have not released any information about the driver of the car.
Montana Avenue appeared to be completely shut down between Seventh Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard, as multiple fire trucks were seen parked in the middle of the street near the restaurant, aerial video showed.
The street was expected to remain closed until around 1 p.m. as crews cleaned up the scene, according to the Fire Department.
The fire burned on a stretch of Montana Avenue known for its upscale boutique stores and restaurants. An elementary school, Starbucks coffee shop and Pavilions grocery store were all located less than a block away from where the incident occurred.
Santa Monica fire crews continued to battle a stubborn blaze that started when a vehicle crashed into the back of a restaurant on Aug. 12, 2015. (Credit: Mark Mester / KTLA)
http://ktla.com/2015/08/12/vehicle-crashes-into-santa-monica-restaurant-sparks-fire/
Car Erupts in Flames After
Crash, Blaze Spreads to
Restaurant
It was unclear if the driver was injured in the crash.
By Irene Moore and Patrick Healy
Updated at 10:24 AM PDT on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2015
A gas leak fueled a vehicle fire that spread to a Santa Monica restaurant after a woman lost control of her car and slammed into a building Wednesday morning.
"Something happened, it spinned out of control, I tried to hit the breaks and it just hit the wall and went straight into the wall," Yelena Zabokritskya said.
Firefighters responded to the dual fire just before 8:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Montana Avenue and found a Toyota Camry engulfed in flames, partially driven into Cafe de Paris with the back wall of the building also on fire.
Zabokritskya wasn't injured during the crash, just very confused as to how her car went from the back parking lot to jumping a curb and partially through the wall of the restaurant.
![[NATL-LA] PHOTOS: Fire Erupts at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Hotel](http://media.nbclosangeles.com/images/624*349/7-25-2015+vegas+cosmo+hotel+fire+5.JPG)
Officials from the Southern California Gas Company arrived on scene to evaluate the leak caused by a "small" service line that was sheared during the crash, Javier Mendoza said, a spokesman with the gas company.
The blaze burned for two hours.
"Well we were unable to completely extinguish the building fire till the gas was shut off cause it was still constantly creating heat," Battalion Chief Mike McElvaney said, of the Santa Monica Fire Department.
Crews were able to eventually stop the flow of gas and were making repairs to the damaged line, Mendoza said.
Montana Avenue was shut down east of 7th Street and pedestrians were advised to avoid the area.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Car-Building-Fire-in-Santa-Monica-321567061.html
Car crash sparks fire at Santa Monica building
VIDEO ON LINK:
http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150812/car-crash-sparks-fire-at-santa-monica-building
SANTA MONICA >> A Santa Monica building housing two eateries was damaged Wednesday by a fire that was sparked when a car crashed into the rear of the structure and sheared a natural gas line.
Firefighters sent to the 700 block of Montana Avenue about 8:30 a.m. extinguished the flames in about 45 minutes, according to the Santa Monica Fire Department.
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Latest on the Santa Monica fire
The fire damaged Cafe de Paris and the Spumoni Italian Restaurant, said Santa Monica fire Deputy Chief Tom Clemo. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
A female employee of Cafe de Paris, who was in a restroom near where the car crashed into the building, was hit by some debris and taken to a hospital to be checked out, authorities said.
The vehicle sheared a 3/4-inch natural gas service line and damaged the meter, causing a leak, said Javier Mendoza of the Southern California Gas Co. Utility crews stopped the flow of gas about 10:25 a.m., and worked to make repairs, he said.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Mendoza reminded Southlanders of safety tips regarding a leaking natural gas line or meter:
• Immediately evacuate the area, and from a safe location call SoCalGas at (800) 427-2200;
• If there is damage that could result in a natural gas leak that might endanger life or cause property damage, call 911 after evacuating the area;
• Do not turn electrical devices on or off, including light switches;
• Do not start an engine or use any device, including a telephone, that could cause a spark; and
• Do not attempt to control the leak or repair the damaged pipe or meter.
JUST MY OPINION AT THE MOMENT!
