A vehicle crashed through the front of the Cookie Tree bakery on Bridge Street in Yuba City Friday morning, damaging large windows on two sides of the corner building. Despite the significant structural impact around 9:45 a.m., the popular, longtime establishment remained open for business, with employees serving customers through the damaged storefront. There were no serious injuries reported, though one customer sustained minor scrapes to her leg.
Julie Jenkins Ahonen, the house manager and a 27-year employee at the Cookie Tree, described the immediate moments of the incident. She had just stepped to the counter to assist customers when the front of the store "crashed inward and glass flew everywhere." Ahonen recounted hearing a sound she described as an explosion before seeing a car drive in, prompting her to call 911. She noted that the initial moments were a blur.
The accident involved two vehicles, according to Ahonen, with one, a black Lexus, visibly damaged and parked outside the shop after the incident. Yuba City Police responded to the scene but had departed by 10:30 a.m. Ahonen herself was observed taking customer orders through the newly open wall of the building shortly after the event. An off-duty fireman, who happened to be at the store, assisted by directing police officers, with Ahonen describing his help as amazing. She expressed thankfulness that nobody was seriously injured, acknowledging that mistakes happen.
Owner Brent Smith, whose mother Sue Smith opened the Cookie Tree in 1981, was on site cleaning up the damage. He stated his intention to board up the openings created by the crash, assuring customers that the store would remain open. Smith noted that the bakery has a second door, which facilitated continued operation. He acknowledged the repair costs would be substantial and expressed hope that insurance companies would cover the expenses. Smith observed that the situation could have been significantly worse.
Ahonen, who stated she usually handles such situations well, also revealed that this was not the first time a vehicle had impacted the building during her tenure. She recalled a window on one end being hit about 13.5 years ago, and a pillar about eight years ago. Her sister, Kristie Pang, the store manager and a 31-year employee, was in a back office when the crash occurred, admitting she doesn't handle emergencies as well as Ahonen.
The Cookie Tree closes annually for the Labor Day weekend. Following its usual schedule, the bakery plans to reopen on Tuesday with its normal hours of operation, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ahonen summarized the day's events by stating that they simply needed to sell their remaining stock and close for the day, which they had planned to do anyway. A phone call to the Yuba City Police was not returned by press time.
