Two Elderly Drivers Send Four People To Hospitals

Mercedes Benz meets kosher deli (NY Post)

Yesterday, elderly drivers wreaked havoc in Brooklyn and Queens—in one instance, a 79-year-old struck three teens while driving against traffic in Brownsville while an 80-somethig driver crashed her Mercedes Benz into a Little Neck deli, trapping a customer under the vehicle. A deli worker said, "It was like a gust of air went past my face. We heard a crash and I turned around. She [the motorist] missed me by a foot — near death."

In the Queens crash, the Post says a customer, pinned under the Mercedes, was freed by firefighters; she's in "critical but stable condition with non-life threatening injuries to her head and legs." The driver was also taken to a hospital or observation, but—surprise, surprise—she probably won't be charged.

As for the Brooklyn incident, the Daily News reports, "The 79-year-old was spotted driving against traffic on Dumont Ave. in a 1996 Mercury van before he jumped a curb and hit a cable box at Rockaway Ave. in Brownsville about 6 p.m.... The aging motorist then jammed the gearshift into reverse and sped across the intersection - hopping onto the sidewalk and hitting three teenagers as they stepped out of a corner store." Then he tried to reverse, but crashed into a parked car. The pedestrians and driver were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries; the driver—surprise, surprise—"was not expected to be charged." Let the "should the elderly retake drivers' tests" debate begin.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on October 28, 2010 4:12 PM

Comments [rss]

Neverhaditsogood

Must have been a very large to go order for the bridge club.

Mr. Brooks

For the price an elderly person pays for a high end luxury car such as that white benz, they can pay someone to drive them around or.....take cabs?

Brooklyn Book Worm

I'm in favor of regular re-testing for drivers over 70. My grandfather had been a good driver all his life, but in his late 70's, his skill began to fade. He lived in Pennsylvania, which does have a re-testing requirement. He eventually let his license lapse, rather than take the test. He insisted that he was annoyed by the inconvenience, but he clearly recognized that he could no longer drive safely. My step-father, who lived in Florida (a no re-test state) got into numerous fender-benders until his cardiologist ordered him off the road. Re-testing might have avoided lots of accidents.

Politburo

Also, Florida now has retesting, but only a vision test for those over 80. In both states, doctors can recommend that DMV perform retesting.

Politburo

PA's retesting is a random selection of 23,000 drivers over 45 each year.

There are about 5.2 million people over 45 in the state of PA. Even if just a quarter of those people have a license, the program is still vastly inadequate.

Clarice City

Years ago my boyfriend was helping me move and on one of his trips to my new apartment he witnessed an accident where an elderly driver had driven up over a curb, onto the sidewalk, and hit the pedestrian, a young college graduate, so hard that it threw her over a stone wall and decapitated her.

He had been driving behind a UPS truck on the quiet residential street when it happend. He saw the body of the girl on the lawn and the UPS driver had steping out of the truck and throwing up. Whatever he saw was so bad he couldn't sleep without nightmares for weeks.

Later on, the driver 85 year old (!!!!), with a terrible driving record in Florida, who lived in a very expensive neighborhood down the street from where she killed the girl, was sentenced to house arrest for two years. She actually had the brass balls to ask for Saturdays and holidays off so that she could go to synagogue. Basically, she really didn't give a shit about the girl that she killed. Also, she was propped up on about three pillows while she drove her white mercedes into the girl. So, she knew full well she shouldn't drive.

Funny how she was so connected to her social activities at the synagogue, but no one bothered to take her keys away and offer her a ride.

http://www.dailynewstribune.com/news/x1343817676

And of course the girl she killed was absoutley amazing:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/9/11/badaracco-daughter-killed-in-crash-anna/

Kelles

I don't think you can force the seniors to get tested every year HOWEVER...if their families cared for these ladies and they saw this happening, they would have taken away the keys. I mean, do they want to see Gram crashing thru a building???

Aunt_Bike

It makes a great story when an elderly person hits someone, but statistically, it's the young that are the greatest danger on our roads.

The insurance companies know this, and that is why drivers under the age of 25 pay higher auto insurance premiums. That's also why car rental companies are so reluctant to rent to drivers under 25. Seniors, however, usually get insurance discounts, and have no trouble renting vehicles.

I'm a big traffic safety advocate, but it would be pointless to penalize older drivers when it's the young ones you've got to watch out for. The AAARP would take any law that discriminates against older drivers to court and win, because they have the facts on their side.

http://twitter.com/#!/Aunt_Bike

Dirk

Once you reach a certain age, you should have to take your drivers test every single year.

For that matter, teenagers should be tested every single year, too.

TeddyNYC

Incidents like this will happen from time to time. Maybe testing seniors every year would help. However, the cost would be an issue. Like usual, no easy answer.

jt10000

They could make the driver/applicants pay for the testing. Just an idea.....

JacqueMehoff

wasn't there a saying, Driving is a privilege, not a right.

so paying for that privilege sounds bout right.

I think the people who say this are the same who say If you're not doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide?

chuzzlewit

when do we get those death panels i voted for?

JacqueMehoff

hey, where's those old people who are afraid of bicyclists? well I'm adding elderly drivers on my list of fears.

Gotham Extremist

Store front all busted, yet the Benz is still one piece and shiny and new. Once again, 80K for a Benz is well worth it. It would be a different picture had the car been a Toyota!