A firefighter stands outside of Good Hope Baptist Church after a car crashed into the building on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.
Seven people sustained minor injuries and three others were transported to a hospital after a car crashed into an occupied Bernal Heights church on Sunday, the San Francisco Fire Department said on social media. Officials warned the public to “avoid the area” due to subsequent street closures. 
The fire department evacuated Good Hope Baptist Church on Nevada Street, requesting backup from an ambulance to help people who were injured and the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection to determine when the property was safe to enter. Video shared by fire officials showed a large hole in the side of the building with splintered siding hanging over it from where the car had crashed. Police cars were parked around the building as a small crowd of people gathered outside in the parking lot. 
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The church across the street from the Alemany Farmers Market typically holds services at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sundays. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, nor was the condition of the three people who were transported to the hospital.  
“This appears to be an unintentional incident as the driver of the car is associated with the address,” San Francisco Fire Lieutenant Ken Smith said on social media.
SFDBI cleared the building and the fire department left the scene by 2:30 p.m., officials said. 
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Amanda Bartlett is an award-winning writer and the assistant local editor for SFGATE covering culture, history, science and breaking news. Prior to joining the newsroom in 2019, she worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival. Outside of the newsroom, she hosts movie nights with Cinema SF as part of a series called “SFGATE Screens” and has also appeared as a guest on the Midnight Mass and Western Neighborhoods Project podcasts. She lives in Oakland with her fiancé and their rescue rabbit, Alberta Einstein. Send her an email at amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com.
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