It sounds crazy, but a man with a pickup truck managed to do severe damage to the roof of a North Hills T-Mobile store – no flying cars were involved, however.
On a sunny Sunday in sunny California, there was a hit-and-run crash: a GMC truck collided with a Mercedes near Nordhoff Street and Sepulveda Boulevard, not far from the 405 Freeway.
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. The impact sent the truck into a fire hydrant, breaking it off completely and unleashing a powerful geyser that shot water high into the air and onto a nearby building that housed both a T-Mobile store and a dental office.
UPDATE: New photo shows partially collapsed
T-Mobile store in North Hills, California. No reports of injuries at this time -CBS pic.twitter.com/fNephmKhh7— Breaking Avian (@BreakingAvian) March 17, 2025
These were hundreds of gallons of water onto the roof – and the accumulated water eventually caused the structure to collapse spectacularly.Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The driver of the truck fled the scene, prompting a police search. Meanwhile, the driver of the Mercedes remained at the location and cooperated with authorities.
Emergency crews from SoCalGas, as well as Los Angeles’ Departments of Building and Safety and Water and Power, are assessing the damage. Officials have declared the building a total loss, and demolition is expected in the coming days.
According to LAPD Sgt. Cody Derosa, the T-Mobile manager acted quickly to evacuate employees and customers before the collapse. The adjacent dental office was closed at the time, preventing any risk to occupants.
BREAKING: Dramatic video shows the moment a T-Mobile store partially collapsed in the North Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The collapse was caused by flooding as a result of a nearby car accident involving a fire hydrant.
(Venturauser1686133021 via Citizen) pic.twitter.com/Lsh1tIwPdj
— Breaking Avian (@BreakingAvian) March 16, 2025
Mere days ago, a T-Mobile store in Yonkers, NY, was robbed in broad daylight on March 12, prompting a major police response with 30 to 40 officers swarming the area. The suspect fled, leading to a car chase that ended on Woodycrest Avenue, where police blocked the vehicle and took the suspect into custody without any shots fired.
As I said back then, I’m once again thankful for the convenience of handling telco services online, avoiding the need to visit physical stores. With digital options, customers can sign up for plans, order SIM cards, and activate services remotely, making in-person visits increasingly unnecessary. You never know what might happen, right?
