Two people were hurt when a big rig plowed into a Starbucks in north coastal Oceanside early Wednesday, trapping the injured driver until power to the building could be cut, the Oceanside Fire Department said.
The truck slammed through a cinderblock wall and then into the side of the coffee shop at North Coast Highway near state Route 76 just before 4:45 a.m., the department said in a news release.
Crews arrived to find much of the semi-truck cab inside the structure. Starbucks staffers cleared out of the building, which was significantly damaged. But the truck driver was stuck inside the cab, and an “active electrical hazard” prevented crews from reaching him.
San Diego Gas & Electric responded to the scene and cut the power, allowing firefighters to pull the driver free. Paramedics took him and a Starbucks employee to a hospital. Each had injuries not considered to be life-threatening, the department said.
Oceanside police Acting Lt. Richard Schickel said the initial investigation indicates the driver had suffered a medical event, ran the red light and crashed.
As of 10:30 a.m., the truck had been extracted from the building but not towed off. Traffic was blocked at the intersection.
Fire officials said San Diego Fire-Rescue’s hazardous materials team was consulted as a precaution because the truck’s diesel fuel tanks had the potential to rupture, but no hazardous material spill was reported.
“We are grateful that no serious injuries occurred, considering the scale of the incident. The coordinated efforts of our crews, the Oceanside Police Department, and SDG&E ensured a rapid and safe response,” the department said in a news release.
The building has been deemed unsafe until it undergoes a complete structural evaluation.
