BMW crashes into Santa Monica business, leaving driver seriously injured

Car slams into Santa Monica building

A violent crash sent a driver to the hospital and left a building badly damaged.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - A vehicle crashed into a building in Santa Monica late Thursday night, causing significant damage to the structure and sending the driver to the hospital. Police say the business was unoccupied at the time, but residents living above were forced to evacuate as a precaution.

What we know:

The crash happened on Thursday, Dec. 11, around 11:20 p.m. in the 2600 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, near the intersection with Princeton Street.

Santa Monica police and fire crews responded to reports of a vehicle that had slammed into a building. When first responders arrived, they found a vehicle heavily damaged, and the first floor of the building significantly compromised by the force of the impact.

Authorities say the vehicle involved was an orange BMW traveling westbound on Santa Monica Boulevard. Airbags deployed during the collision.

Fortunately, no one was inside the printing and web design business known as Sir Speedy. However, the top floor of the building houses an apartment, and a family living there was evacuated as a safety precaution.

Santa Monica Boulevard was shut down for two blocks — from Harvard Street to 26th Street — as crews worked the scene. The damaged vehicle was towed away early Friday morning.

Building and safety inspectors are expected to assess the extent of the structural damage.

What we don't know:

Investigators have not yet determined what caused the crash. The circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation.