Iraq Vet Killed in Starbucks Crash

Image: The Fillmore Gazette

Fillmore, CA: A 30-year-old off-duty deputy sheriff crashed his SUV into a Los Angeles-area Starbucks last night after he apparently fell asleep at the wheel, killing Sergio Mendez, a 30-year-old Iraq war veteran who was pinned between the vehicle and an internal wall in the Starbucks.

According to The Fillmore Gazette, the Dec. 13, 2011, crash sent the SUV “through the east wall of the business, traversed through the customer lobby area, and came to rest inside at the front door.”

Two other Starbucks patrons were injured during the crash, though neither seriously, according to ABC News. The vehicle's impact was reportedly so strong that officials had to red-tag the building.

More details: Los Angeles Times | KTLA-TV

[Thanks to Charles Carter for the heads-up on this news!]