Police said the cause of the fatal crash remains under investigation
NEED TO KNOW
- A Tesla crash killed an elderly woman in Southern California in June
- Ginny Shields was struck after the vehicle jumped a curb outside an Urbane Cafe in Simi Valley and crashed into the restaurant
- Her son, Steve Shields, said his mother’s greatest joy was spending time with her children and grandchildren
After a Tesla crash killed an elderly woman in Southern California, her son has spoken out.
Ginny Shields of Agoura Hills was struck on June 29 after a Tesla jumped a curb outside an Urbane Cafe in Simi Valley and crashed into the restaurant. Ginny, 79, died at the scene, according to the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD).
The woman's son, Steve Shields, told NBC Los Angeles on July 2 that his mother's greatest joy was spending time with her children and grandchildren.
"She just did not want to miss a single moment," Steve said of his mother. "She wanted to connect with her kids and grandkids and wanted to include them in everything, and that was her joy."
"She loved art. She loved art history, so for something like 20 years, she was a volunteer at the Getty Villa Malibu," he continued. "She had a lot of years left and a lot of things left to do."
On the day of the crash, Ginny had been running errands, her son said.
"I'm imagining my mom there under that car, and I wish I could unsee it," Steve told NBC Los Angeles. "She's left a giant hole that can't be filled."
Tesla did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, July 4.
Police said the crash happened at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time outside Urbane Cafe in a shopping center near Tierra Rejada Road and Madera Road.
Simi Valley Police Sgt. Rick Morton told PEOPLE that 65-year-old Nolvia Buezo of Thousand Oaks was driving a white Tesla northbound through the Target parking lot with four juveniles inside when she attempted to make a right turn toward Madera Road.
She did not complete the turn and instead drove over the sidewalk, striking Ginny and then crashing into the restaurant.
Emergency responders found Ginny trapped beneath the vehicle, Morton said.
"We're still trying to determine the cause, whether it was speed, it was operator error, or if the Tesla was for some reason malfunctioning," Morton told PEOPLE.
Morton said Buezo was taken to a hospital after reporting pain in her wrist and arm. One of the four juvenile passengers was also transported as a precaution after suffering minor abrasions, while the remaining three were released to family members at the scene.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police do not believe Buezo was impaired at the time of the crash, according to Morton. No arrests have been made.
As investigators continue working to determine what led to the collision, Steve said his family is searching for answers.
"We obviously need answers and are looking forward to finding out what happened, how this could happen," he told NBC Los Angeles. "Mom … we wish we had more time with you."
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