On Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 3:08 a.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting a vehicle crashed into a multi-family residence in the 2200 block of California Street. Fire crews ensured all impacted residents had been evacuated due to the damage to the structure.  

City of Mountain View Fire Department units were dispatched at 3:08 a.m. and arrived on the scene at 3:14 a.m. Units arrived to find a vehicle had crashed into the building at an estimated high rate of speed, causing significant structural damage and into the complex’s water supply, resulting in a copious amount of water being discharged in front of the complex. Fire crews were able to stop the flow of water after approximately 1,000 gallons had flowed. As a result, the complex was without domestic water. The complex management is offering bottled water for residents. The Mountain View Police Department closed three lanes of traffic on California Street while fire units and equipment were on the scene.

The fire unit’s technical rescue team used lumber to shore up and stabilize the structure, making it safe for adjacent apartments and reducing the possibility of a collapse. A City of Mountain View Building Inspector red-tagged the residence on the first floor, meaning the unit is unsafe to enter and not habitable. Three adults and three minors vacated the residence and stayed with family nearby. Building management is arranging housing in a local hotel or vacant unit for the six occupants while their unit is repaired.

County ambulance transported one adult male to an area hospital for treatment and subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Contact the Mountain View Police Department Public Information Officer, Katie Nelson, for follow-up inquiries at PolicePIO@mountainview.gov.

The estimated damage to the contents and structure is $100,000, and $5,000 in estimated damages to a water meter. The complex has 88 units and is home to an estimated 200 residents. Traffic was reopened in both directions of California Street. The building was turned over to facilities management for further action to coordinate repairs to the building and restoral of the complex’s water system. The City of Mountain View Public Works Department repaired and replaced the water metering system. A private contractor is on the scene mitigating additional repairs to the domestic water supply.

Media Contact
Robert Maitland, Fire Department PIO
650-903-6825 or robert.maitland@mountainview.gov