A semi-truck crashed into a Starbucks in Oceanside early Wednesday, injuring an employee and prompting a rescue for the driver who was trapped inside the cab.
The accident occurred around 4:45 a.m. Wednesday at 801 N. Coast Highway, according to the Oceanside Fire Department.
“Looks like he was exiting the 76, maybe lost his brakes,” Wes McGee, a battalion chief with the Oceanside Fire Department, told Onscene.Media.
The driver went through a single wall block and into the side of a Starbucks and ended up in the electrical room, McGee added.
The driver’s rescue was delayed due to the ensuing electrical hazard. San Diego Gas & Electric shut down the building’s power, allowing firefighters to extricate the driver from the vehicle.
“The vicim was trapped inside,” McGee said. “The extrication did take a while.”
The Starbucks will be closed down while building inspectors check its structural integrity. Meanwhile, employees and customers were evacuated.
The driver and one of three employees working at the time sustained unspecified non-life-threatening injuries and were taken by paramedics to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, officials said.
A hazardous materials team from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department was called out due to a potential rupture in the truck’s diesel fuel tank, but no hazardous spills were reported.
“The building has been deemed temporarily unsafe and is pending a complete structural evaluation,” the department said in a statement.
Power near the building area was shut down during the accident and crews were working to restore service.
Coastal traffic was snarled for several hours. Motorists were encouraged to seek alternate routes.
The Oceanside Police Department was investigating the cause of the crash.
City News Service contributed to this report.
