Investigators said the driver accidentally hit the gas while trying to park outside the bakery.
ATASCOCITA, TX — A 19-year-old Nothing Bundt Cakes employee was killed Tuesday afternoon when a pickup truck crashed through the front of the bakery in Atascocita, striking people inside as the driver tried to park, authorities said.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office identified the worker as Zion Branch. The crash happened about 3:10 p.m. June 30 at the bakery at 19250 W. Lake Houston Parkway, near FM 1960. Investigators said an elderly man driving a pickup truck pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. Branch died at the scene, and at least one customer was taken to a hospital. The sheriff’s office Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating.
Authorities said the pickup went through the storefront while people were inside the business. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Anthony McConnell said the driver, a man in his late 70s, had been trying to park in front of the store when his foot slipped. “He accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake,” McConnell said during a briefing at the scene. The man’s wife was in the truck with him, officials said. Neither person in the truck was reported injured. Deputies said the driver stayed at the scene, cooperated with investigators and did not show signs of intoxication. Officials said he was detained while deputies worked to determine what happened, but no charge had been announced by early Wednesday.
Investigators said several people were in the bakery when the truck entered the building. Branch was at or near the front counter when she was struck, according to reports citing sheriff’s office records. A 52-year-old customer also was hurt. Her daughter, Brooke Bowman, said the woman had been ordering cakes for work when debris and part of the truck struck her. Bowman said her mother needed stitches for an arm injury and had a cut on her face, but was stable and expected to be released from the hospital. Officials said three other people were evaluated at the scene. Five employees who were in the back of the store were not physically hurt.
Employees described a sudden crash that sent workers running from the back of the bakery. Liliana Trevino, an employee, said workers first thought the building itself was coming down. “We thought the building was falling,” Trevino said. She said employees ran out through the back, then circled toward the front while looking for co-workers. The crash left the front of the bakery damaged, and video from the scene showed a blue pickup being removed from the store. Firefighters, deputies and medical crews responded to the shopping center as authorities asked people to avoid the area during the investigation.
Nothing Bundt Cakes said in a statement that it was mourning Branch, whom the company referred to as one of its “Joy Creators” at the Atascocita bakery. The company said its thoughts were with Branch’s family, the people who were injured, bakery owners, team members and others affected by the crash. The company said it was cooperating with local authorities and that the bakery was closed while it focused on supporting its staff and others hurt by the loss. Branch’s family said she had dreams she was working toward, including school plans, before she was killed.
The crash is being handled as a traffic investigation, and officials have not said whether the driver will face charges. Deputies were expected to review evidence from the scene, witness statements, vehicle information and any available video. The sheriff’s office also was expected to complete a traffic release record with the findings known at this stage. Authorities have not released a final report on the crash. The Atascocita Fire Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office were among the agencies that responded.
The bakery sits in a busy shopping area along West Lake Houston Parkway, a commercial corridor with restaurants, stores and steady afternoon traffic. The crash happened during business hours, when employees and customers were inside. Local reports said a separate vehicle crash damaged a Texas State Optical store in the same general area in February, though officials have not tied that earlier incident to Tuesday’s fatal crash. In this case, investigators have said the known cause under review is the driver’s mistaken use of the accelerator while parking.
By Wednesday, the damaged bakery remained closed, and the investigation remained active. Branch had been publicly identified, the injured customer was reported stable, and no intoxication had been found by deputies at the scene. The next major update is expected to come from the sheriff’s office as investigators decide whether the case will be referred for any charge.
Author note: Last updated July 1, 2026.