Surveillance Captures Mercedes Slamming Into Store, Almost Hitting Customers

A black Mercedes Benz slammed into an Inland Empire store, barely missing customers shopping Thursday.

"It was just a big impact, like a big sound," said Polo Reveles, who was in the store at the time.

The crash occurred just after 11 a.m. -- and right before the busy afternoon rush -- at La Surtidora grocery store at 17763 Valley Blvd. in Bloomington.

The Mercedes Benz suddenly crashed through the front of the store in a wreck caught on surveillance cameras.

Reveles was about 10 feet away when the Mercedes slammed into the window.

"I just made sure nobody was hurt," he said. "Lucky nobody was standing right there where the car is."

Surveillance video shows the car coming dangerously close to a woman in a black shirt.

Firefighters said even though the woman wasn't hit by the car, she was struck by flying debris and was taken away in an ambulance. Her injuries were minor, firefighters said.

Esperanza Franco, who was behind the wheel, said she bought the Mercedes Benz five months ago.

She told NBC4 that she was parking the car, but for some reason it suddenly lurched forward.

"What happened? I don't know," she said.

She said it all happened so fast that she wasn't exactly sure what happened.

"I thought I had my foot on the brake," she said. "I still think I had my foot on the brake but the car just kept going."

The owners don't know how much it will cost to repair the damage, but they're just grateful no was killed or seriously injured.

Reveles said if the car had crashed around noon, it may have been a much different story.

"Sometimes we have lines of people standing right there," he said. "Lucky we didn't have anybody. It was slow hours for us."

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