A California family is trying to move forward after an unexpected loss. Deris Renoj, a mom and grandmother who lived in Los Angeles, was killed suddenly while she was at work. A dedicated employee, the woman wasn’t even supposed to be at work at the time of her death, but she was filling in for a coworker. Sadly, that act of selflessness cost her her life. While she was working, a car unexpectedly crashed into the building. Renoj and the other people inside the store didn’t stand a chance. Police have deemed the crash an accident. Currently, it’s unknown what kind of consequences the driver might face.
Several units from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to reports of a vehicle that crashed into a grocery store at 12:11 p.m. on February 5, 2026, a department news release noted.
“Upon arrival, firefighters found a silver sedan that had crashed through multiple front-facing windows into the bakery portion of the 99 Ranch Market, an area occupied by customers at the time of the collision,” the release read.
The driver had also struck a bicyclist about a block away from the bakery. After the car was removed, three people were considered beyond help and were declared dead. Two 35-year-old men were taken to a hospital in critical condition, the release shared, and two other men were taken to the hospital in fair condition. The driver, who was identified as an elderly woman, was examined at the scene and declined additional treatment. So did the cyclist.
Authorities aren’t investigating the crash as intentional. The investigation is ongoing.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s department confirmed the death of 42-year-old Renoj and her coworker, 28-year-old Zih Dao, to People. A third person, a man in his 50s, also was killed although he has not been publicly named.
Both Renoj and Dao died of blunt force trauma. According to officials, their manner of death has been ruled accidental.
The family of Renoj started a GoFundMe account. They explained that she had celebrated her birthday only five days before her untimely death.
“Though she was originally scheduled to close, she selflessly picked up a morning shift when she was notified a coworker was not going to make it in,” they explained on the page. “Her kindness, dependability, and willingness to always help others defined who she was right until the very end.”
Deris Renoj was a wife, mother of five, and grandmother of six. “Her home was always a place of love, laughter, warmth, and comfort that only she could give. She loved deeply and was loved beyond words,” the page continued. “Birthdays will never be the same. Holidays will never be the same. Our lives have changed forever, and our hearts will always feel incomplete without her.”
The funds raised will go to funeral costs and to help her husband and two minor children.
“We are heartbroken by this loss,” 99 Ranch Market wrote in a statement shared on social media. “Our deepest condolences are with the families, loved ones, and colleagues of our team members who lost their lives, as well as with the family of the customer who passed away.”
