UPS truck crashes into Santa Rosa taqueria

A UPS truck crashed into a taqueria in northwest Santa Rosa Thursday morning, causing an unknown amount of damage, according to the restaurant’s owner.

Mendoza Taqueria owner Juan Martin said two employees were in the building when the crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. The truck took down a handicap sign, tree, an outdoor eating area and a container filled with catering supplies before striking the Piner Road taqueria and cracking a corner of the building, he said.

Martin did not have an estimate on the damages.

“Once I got here, I thought it wasn’t going to be too much, but it was a mess,” he said. “We’re open. It’s just that people have to park on the other side.”

The truck also hit a fire department connection line, flooding the parking lot with a few inches of water, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Matt Dahl said. He said Santa Rosa police had responded to the crash and were investigating the incident.

He did not have details on what caused the crash. Santa Rosa police were not available for comment Thursday.

UPS spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed the crash involved one of their drivers, but would not give details on what caused the wreck or whether UPS was planning to pay for damages.

“We’re thankful the UPS driver is safe. And we will continue to work with local authorities to resolve the situation,” he said.