It’s been nearly a week since the driver of a Chevy Silverado lost control and went straight through the front of Gelato 101 in Encinitas, pinning a 9-year-old boy under the passenger side of the car, and destroying the business front of the beloved gelato shop.
Still, the truck sits in the middle of the shop, now protected by construction fencing.
The managing co-owner, David Arato, explained that the truck hit a structural beam, making the fix more complex. He still isn’t sure when the shop will be able to reopen, as he’s gotten estimates of anywhere from a couple of months to six months from contractors.
“Even today, I was there this morning to check on things, and it’s bad,” David said.
In the meantime, the store is dealing with loss in profits and the costs insurance will not cover, which is why they’re raising money to help recover the losses.
“The whole thing that happened has some positivity about it, [but the] support behind it is very positive,” David said. “People are looking at it not as a devastating tragedy, but more as a ‘let’s support these people to get back on their feet...’ We’re a tight community. My customers are the ones I see at school pickup.”
David said he was extremely grateful for the community support for not only himself and Gelato 101, but the victim of the crash – nine-year-old River Smith, who skirted death. The boy was pinned under the passenger side of the vehicle and was rescued by first responders before being transported to the hospital that night.
River Smith is now at home, recovering with a broken clavicle and arm, though he is expected to make a full recovery.
"I’m so thankful that River is not hurt more, that the family is going to be okay,” David said. “... This whole conversation would be devastatingly different if that wasn’t the case.”
David knows the Smith family personally and says he is close friends with River’s parents. River’s mom owns a hair salon right down the street from the Gelato shop, so River was a frequent customer.
A separate fundraiser has raised thousands for River and his family to cover the unexpected medical costs.
Edward Delatorre has been charged with DUI causing injury in connection with this accident. The complaint explains that Delatorre was believed to be under the influence of both alcohol and a drug at the time of the crash.
He has numerous hearings throughout the rest of the month, and his bail was set at $100,000 on Friday.
