Three killed, several injured after car crashes straight into Los Angeles supermarket

A routine afternoon shop turned into a scene of chaos in Los Angeles after a car tore into the front of a busy supermarket, killing three people and leaving several others fighting for their lives.

According to CBS News, the crash happened just after noon on Thursday at a 99 Ranch Market in the Westwood neighbourhood, when a vehicle crashed through the storefront and ended up wedged inside the shop.

Aerial footage showed shattered glass, debris across the entrance and the car positioned among the aisles.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said three people died at the scene: 42-year-old Deris Renoj, a 55-year-old man and a 30-year-old man.

Six others suffered injuries. Two men, both aged 35, remain in critical condition in hospital. Two more were taken in with less serious injuries.

In a strange twist, police said the same driver had struck a bicyclist about a block away shortly before the crash. Both the cyclist and the driver declined to have medical treatment.

Authorities stressed there were no passengers in the car and are treating the incident as an 'accidental traffic collision'.

The supermarket had a brief examination as inspectors checked the structure, but officials later confirmed the building was stable.