An 87-year-old woman backed her car into the Trader Joe’s store, located in Encitas, California, on Jan. 26, around 2:38 p.m. In doing so, she seriously injured three pedestrians while another suffered only minor injuries.
In the accident, witnesses recalled seeing the elderly woman back her 2002 Honda Civic up closest to the front door. The woman confessed she believed she was attempting to back up out of her space when she confused the gas pedal for the brake, sending her car into a crowd of four women.
While details weren’t immediately clear, a spokesperson with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department said at least three of the women struck were transported to area hospitals, with some of them complaining of broken bones. One of the women was treated at the scene.
As for the driver of the vehicle in question, it was discovered that she not only never had a driver’s license, but had been stopped in the past for numerous moving violations. Her car was impounded at the scene and she received a citation for driving without a license before being let go.
Unfortunately, incidents like these are not all that uncommon. Pedestrian accidents can result from a number of different factors including driving drunk, poor road conditions, distractions and others.
If you or someone you know has suffered serious injuries in San Diego as a result of the negligent driving of another, the advice of a California personal injury attorney can be of great counsel as you look to recover damages for lost wages, pain and suffering and other related damages.
Source: Del Mar Times, “Woman crashes car into Encinitas Trader Joe’s, injures four people,” Brittany Woolsey, Jan. 26, 2017
