The driver and a female passenger suffered minor ankle injuries and were taken to the hospital, police said. The woman also complained of chest pains and the man may have dislocated or broken finger, police said.

"They were really lucky," said Officer Scott Gudehus of the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department, who responded to the scene shortly before 10:30 a.m. June 6.

According to Gudehus, a witness saw the driver travelling northbound through the parking lot at about 50 mph.

The driver told police that he swerved to miss hitting the witness, who was standing in the parking lot, and purposely headed for the tree as a buffer because he knew he wouldn't be able to stop the car, Gudehus said.

The driver also claimed that there was something wrong with his transmission, Gudehus said. The investigation is ongoing, but police speculate that the driver may have gotten confused and accidentally stepped on the accelerator while intending to hit the brake.

"I just heard a terrible crack," said Los Gatos resident Patrick Lynn. Lynn was across the street and on his way to the bus bench that the driver hit. "I was lucky I was a bit late for the bus," he said.

Other people who stood around the accident scene said they didn't see what happened, but some heard a crash that they likened to a bomb exploding.

According to Bruce Baker, an officer with the Los Gatos Park Service, the tree the driver hit was a 10- to 15-year-old Tree of Heaven.

With reports from Mandy Major.