A hit-and-run accident in Parking Lot E on Feb. 16 left students and faculty stunned and five staff members with damaged vehicles. The conditions of the vehicles ranged from drivable to totaled.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. Thursday. According to witnesses, a blue Toyota Camry accelerated while turning a corner in the parking lot and plowed into a group of parked cars, striking a glancing blow against one and then pushing four cars against one another.

Witnesses said the driver stayed at the scene anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes before slowly driving away.

“We all thought she was just going to come back,” said Melissa Towar, a student who witnessed the crash. “She just left. We were amazed.”

The suspected driver is 20-year-old De Anza College student Joanna Bucio, according to Foothill-De Anza Police Chief Ronald J. Levine.

Bucio was booked into Santa Clara County Jail by the San Jose Police Department on felony burglary and auto theft charges in addition to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, according to police public information officer Jose Garcia.

The severity of the damage caused by the Camry surprised onlookers and victims alike.

“From the look of the damage you wouldn’t think it was a Camry,” Towar said. “You’d think it was a midsize to full size SUV.”

Instructional associate Bonnie Mell’s 1995 Honda Accord sustained enough damage that it was totaled, forcing her to buy a new car.

“It looked like the terminators had fallen from the sky and landed on the rear end of two cars,” Mell said.

Chemistry instructors Vanessa Williams and Richard Cahill were more fortunate. Both their cars suffered body damage but are still drivable.

“I got kind of lucky,” said Cahill, whose 1994 Camry was the first car struck. “It was a glancing blow.”

“I was thankful I didn’t have major damage done to my car,” said Williams, whose Toyota 4 Runner was the furthest car from the initial impact. “And I was glad that no one was hurt.”

Several witnesses speculated that as the driver turned the corner, she meant to brake in order to avoid an SUV that was stopped in the road, but instead accidentally hit the gas pedal.

Chemistry coordinator David Gray was in his office in the nearby SC1 building at the time of the crash. 

“There was this screech like tires squealing that wasn’t a brake sound,” Gray said. “It sounded like someone just revving up and then you heard the crash.”

From his office, Gray watched the suspect’s car leave the scene. After calling police dispatch, he walked down to where the crash occurred and overheard a man speaking with police.

“I remember him saying, ‘She swerved to avoid me,'” Gray said, though he did not know whether the man was on foot or in his vehicle at the time of the crash.

Surprise was a common reaction among students and staff.

“I was kind of flabbergasted,” said 18-year-old student Aaron Lau, who witnessed the crash from a nearby smoking area.

Williams, who did not witness the crash but was in the SC1 building at the time, went to the scene when she was notified her car was damaged.

“Everyone down there was just surprised and shocked, just asking ‘How does that happen, who does that?'” she said.

Complaints about reckless driving in and the layout of Parking Lot E were a common thread among those interviewed.

Towar said she frequently hangs out near parking lot E during her breaks.

“People go through that parking lot really fast, squealing their tires,” she said.

Gray said previous experiences affected his reaction to hearing the crash.

“I didn’t instantly jump up because, frankly, I’ve almost been hit so many times in this parking lot that to hear a crash wasn’t surprising,” he said.

Gray also commented on the area where the crash took place.

“That’s a fairly tight turn; there’s no room to move down there,” he said. “It’s hard to even just drive carefully through there.”

Mell said a shortage of parking spaces leads to poor driving.

“They’re up and down the aisles looking to get the first available spot, for somebody coming out,” she said.

Cahill said he purposely drives his 1994 Camry to campus because of the inherent risks of parking lots.

“It’s like any parking lot in the world,” he said. “That’s why I don’t drive my newer cars; you’re going to get nicked.”

STUDENT CHARGED – Joanna Bucio is accused of burglary, auto theft and hit-and-run. (Photo provided by SJPD )