An SFPD SUV careened into a storefront on Valencia Street in the Mission District Wednesday evening, reportedly as it was in pursuit of another vehicle suspected to be linked to a violent crime.
In another example of an urban police chase resulting in unnecessary injuries to bystanders, an SFPD vehicle crashed Wednesday just after 5:10 p.m., injuring two people and damaging the storefront at 22nd and Valencia — formerly home to Lucca Ravioli.
As the Chronicle reports, the police pursuit began on the 2600 block of Mission Street — just a block away from the crash — where the suspect vehicle was spotted by officers. The subsequent events are now under investigation.
The well loved ravioli shop and deli closed in April 2019 after 94 years in business, after the fourth-generation owners, the Feno family, sold three properties on the block for $7 million and cashed out. It has been occupied since early 2021 by a mysterious dude who has said he has plans to create an artist space there — he rebuffed inquiries from Mission Local in 2021.
It's not clear how far along that plan is — the guy, Rory Lydon, has been renting the storefront and slowly remodeling the interior for over two years now.
KPIX reports that the two injured individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect vehicle that was the subject of the initial pursuit remains at large.
Top photo via Citizen app
