Driver crashes into Martinez Safeway causing ice machine to fall and hit customer

By Jose Fabian

An elderly woman inside a Safeway in Martinez was injured when a driver crashed into the building on Wednesday, the Martinez Police Department said.

The crash happened around 3:45 p.m., at the Safeway located at 6688 Alhambra Avenue.

According to police, the driver, a 76-year-old woman, told officers she had confused the brake and gas pedals while parking and ended up accelerating. Her vehicle then jumped the curb and hit the east side of the building, near the north entrance. 

The force of the crash caused an ice machine, located inside the store, to fall and hit a 71-year-old customer, police said.

The customer fell and hit her head on the ground. Police said she was conscious and breathing when first responders got to the scene, and that she was taken to the John Muir Medical Center in Concord as a precaution.

Martinez police said the crash was due to “driver error,” and that neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to be a factor. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said.