*Updated at 4:25pm Nov. 28, 2025, with info from police and fire officials
*Updated at 12:26pm Nov. 28, 2025, with surveillance video of the crash
On Thanksgiving night, a car crashed through the front of Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co. in Los Gatos along West Main Street at University Avenue. The driver was sent to hospital for medical attention, according to the founder of the cafe.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department received the call at 9:02pm, and by 10:30pm, a couple dozen people—some in blankets and parkas due to the cool temperatures—had assembled around caution tape as a Bob’s Towing driver worked to extract the black Volvo from the damaged structure.
“I’m completely traumatized, but I’m thankful no one was in the building at the time,” said Teri Hope, LGCRC’s founder and co-owner. “I got a call from the police department about five minutes after it happened. It took me two minutes to get here. I’ve been an owner for 44 years and I was absolutely floored. I could have never imagined something like this happening. I understand it was a senior man.”
The driver was transported to Valley Medical Center, but the condition of the man is unknown at the time, said Hope.
“I am heartbroken and I am devastated. I hope the person in the car survives,” she said, adding the shop wouldn’t be open for Black Friday—but could see a partial reopening on Saturday.
LGMSPD did not respond to a request for comment at the scene on Thursday night and did not respond to requests for comment by phone and email by Friday at 4pm.
But in a social media post they said the driver was a 90-year-old Los Gatos resident.
“It is suspected alcohol may have played a role in this incident,” a spokesperson wrote, adding, “but all factors are being looked at as part of the ongoing investigation.”
Erica Ray, a public information specialist with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, said firefighters at their Los Gatos firehouse saw a flash of tail lights outside the station and seconds later heard the crash.
“Rescue 83 self-dispatched to investigate and located a vehicle that had sped down University Avenue and crashed through a business where it dead ends on Main Street,” she said. “Upon arrival, Rescue 83 received their dispatch assignment from County 911 Communications and requested Engine 83 for support. A solo-occupant, adult driver was extricated from the vehicle inside the business. The patient was transported to the hospital by County EMS Agency.”
In her responses emailed around 12:30pm Friday, she said LGMSPD will oversee the investigation and noted, “The status of the patient today is not yet known to firefighters.”
Hope’s son-in-law, Scott Nelson, who is a local to Los Gatos, described what turned out to be quite an unconventional family holiday.
“We were all having Thanksgiving together, and then we got a call and we drove down together,” he said.
Daughter of Teri Hope, Renee Nelson, says this brings back childhood memories, since her first job growing up was working at the coffee shop.
Karen Jensen, owner Palapa Lounge, which is located across the street, says about 10 minutes before the accident happened she drove through town with her family—including past her shop—then headed home. As she was taking out her trash, she heard a big “Bang!”
Moments later, one of her employees texted her that there was an accident across the street from her business. So, she drove back down with her family.
Her husband, Paul Jensen, called it an “historic” incident.
“I’ve lived here for over 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Paul, who is the head of Palo Alto Foods. “We supply milk for the Los Gatos Roasting Company.”
Jason Farwell, the owner of the Vermont Building, which houses LGCRC, was also at the scene.
“A single occupant in a car was driving 80-100 miles an hour, southbound on University, and never hit his brakes and went straight through the building,” he said. “There was one bystander witness that saw the car go by.”
He told the Los Gatan he was working to secure the building by ensuring the vehicle was removed and that the gas and water was shut off.
“If it was last night or tomorrow night, there would have been fatalities. I’m just glad nobody died,” he said.
Artist John Eichinger said luckily his string mandala art pieces—the result of at least 40 hours of effort—were in the side of the coffee shop that wasn’t impacted as much (though on Friday he said flying glass shards had caused approximately $3,000 worth of damage to his work).
Eichinger is a major fan of the coffee shop who volunteers his time to promote their weekend shows on Facebook.
“Am I gonna sit home on a Friday night? I go down to the coffee shop. And I video the music concerts,” he said. “It helps the coffee shop.”
Guitarist Colby Pollard was supposed to play there Friday night.
“Any other Thursday night, there’d be dead people in that coffee shop,” Eichinger said, noting Thursday is typically the bluegrass jam session.
Town Manager Chris Constantin also showed up to show his support and evaluate the damage.
“I wanted to check in with the business owner because I know this is a gathering spot for our community,” he said. “I just happened to have the opportunity to come down here.”
He said Town officials will work with the coffee shop as it pursues its next steps.
“I said ‘I’m sorry this has happened to your business. Let me know if there’s anything that I can do,'” he said, recalling his conversation with Hope.
*With files from Drew Penner
**The Los Gatan has started a fundraiser, in partnership with other community members, to support the business and its employees. The GoFundMe URL is: wklys.co/lgcrc
