Tesla crashes into Simi Valley cafe, killing one and injuring five

A white Tesla jumped a curb outside Urbane Cafe in Simi Valley and killed one person while injuring five others in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area. Police said the crash happened Monday, June 29, 2026, at about 2:30 p.m. near Tierra Rejada Road and Madera Road, in the parking lot of a Target shopping center.

The Simi Valley Police Department said at least six people were struck. A woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and five survivors suffered minor injuries. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital. Authorities have not released the names of the victim or the driver, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Tesla hit pedestrians outside the restaurant and came to rest in the patio area, where aerial images showed the vehicle lodged among tables and chairs. The collision also shattered a window at the restaurant and left part of the parking lot blocked off while investigators worked the scene. Emergency crews from the Ventura County Fire Department responded to the crash, which unfolded in the busy retail center at 2091 Madera Road, Unit A.

Police have not said whether any Tesla driver-assistance feature was in use, and they have not identified any criminal charges. The crash has renewed attention on pedestrian safety in parking lots and at storefronts, especially in places where cars, walkers and outdoor dining spaces overlap with little physical protection.

The broader toll of pedestrian deaths gives the Simi Valley crash wider context. NHTSA reported 7,080 pedestrian deaths nationwide in 2024, along with more than 71,000 pedestrian injuries. In Simi Valley, investigators are still working to determine why the vehicle left the roadway and entered the cafe patio, a sequence that left one woman dead and five others hurt in a matter of seconds.