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Driver steps on wrong pedal in Grover Beach parking lot

May 8, 2014

A05E74048F50790226971B80F531C471_787_442An 85-year-old Arroyo Grande woman is uninjured but at risk of losing her driver’s license after crashing her car in a Grover Beach parking lot. [KSBY]

The woman was trying to park her Chrysler PT Cruiser in the Vons grocery store lot on Grand Avenue when she accidentally stepped on the gas pedal. The car went over a curb and sidewalk before knocking down a railing and slamming into shopping carts.

The cruiser narrowly missed hitting the Vons building.

No one suffered any injuries, but paramedics examined the driver at the scene of the crash. Police did not cite the woman, but the DMV will request that she undergo a driver reexamination.


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I wish that people of advanced years would sell their cars and use a taxi. They would save the money spent buying the car and there would be no insurance costs and no license fee and no maintenance costs. When they travel so few miles, taxis are less expensive and much more convenient now that we have cell phones.


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My Grandfather hit the gas hard going forward in a parking space many years ago. Thank God he only drove up the little hill he was facing instead of being in reverse. Turns out he was having a small stroke. That was the Last time he drove! He knew enough not to chance it and told us he could no longer drive.

Otherwise, you can call the DMV incognito and they will take care of the issue so YOU don’t have to be the bad guy, trying to take away their “Freedom” and “Right” to drive while risking the lives of others as well as theirs….What’s that saying? Your rights end when they infringe upon mine..like my right to not be killed by a drunk or incapable elderly driver?

I would absolutely vote to force anyone over 70 a cognitive exam in order to renew a drivers licence Annually.


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An extension of “pedal to the metal” concept.


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Retesting someone based on age is discrimination. Unless you test everyone else who has a fender bender, I would think it’s against the law to test based on age.


I don’t know what to do about elderly people who really shouldn’t drive. Many of them fear loosing their license and feel it would be the end of the world if they lost that independence. It’s sad and I know my father drove long after he shouldn’t have. I used to worry all the time but he and my mother never would have forgiven me if I turned him in. He had a few close calls but made it without any accidents right up until he was placed in a nursing home with full blown alzheimers. Fortunately, my parents lived in a small town and never drove on freeways and my mother never let him drive without her to help remind him to stop for red lights! Yeah, true story.


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I would rather have someone lose their independence than kill someone because they can no longer operate a motor vehicle properly. This looks like more than a fender bender. Had someone been walking in front of those carts at the wrong moment they would be dead!


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Reminds me of a story I read or heard on radio a few years back. A women had parents that were older drivers. The parents were thinking of taking a trip somewhere driving and the daughter was nervous and appalled, that her parents, that weren’t great drivers, were going to do this.


They apparently said to her, honey don’t worry, we drive a big car and besides we have lived a long life, so basically no big deal. The daughters response…………….but what if you hit and kill a young couple and their kids? What about them? They haven’t had a life. They apparently sold their car and stopped driving right after that.


The fact Cindy that you NEVER did anything and put EVERYBODY in danger (knowing) every time they went on the road? How would you have felt about that young family??


We need as a country to stop making excuses for elder people. Is it sad that they would lose their freedom of movement? Yes but I think about that young family and THAT is something I am not willing to accept. Think about it!!!!


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Not sure how it would discrimination to test based on age, it might be if you only tested certain people but not to test all after a certain age. Driving is an age based privilege from the beginning, you have to wait until a certain age to get a license, it would make sense to have a retest required after a certain age, plus if involved to certain types of accidents, but then again, something making sense and having our government adopt it never seem to go together.


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California law allows retesting of elderly drivers; especially when the police request it following an accident.


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My grandfather had 4 accidents while in his mid-late 70’s before they finally tested him out of his license. (Florida has a powerful political lobby on behalf of elderly people and has more dangerous traffic because of it.)


One accident (or even two) may not be evidence of declining competence but it should be grounds for checking that competence beyond a certain (unfortunately arbitrary) age.


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We endured a similar accident at our home on New Year’s Eve 1990. Our elderly(aged 88) neighbor across the street was trying to go down her driveway. She got to the bottom of the driveway and thought she had put the car in Drive but actually still had it in Reverse. She floored it and it came zooming across the street in reverse, up our driveway, and hit my husband who happened to be walking down the driveway taking our big Christmas tree out to the trash.Thankfully he suffered only a broken leg and lesser injuries. She took out part of our garage and was only stopped by a big pine tree on the side. Her insurance had just been renewed the day before. It was horrible at the time, as we were moving and trying to sell our house, but I can smile about it now.


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Poor lady. Glad she or nobody else were not hurt..


She’ll likely get a DWO on her record – Driving While Old.


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Its now time for the family members of this woman to remove her from the streets and to provide her services that seemingly she can’t perform anymore in a safe manner.


“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)


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No, it’s not one strike and you’re out my friend but it sounds like the PD recommended she get a special appointment to see if she’s all there or not.


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Had a thought…..we see so many of our aging hero’s suddenly punch the wrong pedal yet we consistently need those handcapped spots as close to people (and the door….I know) as we can place them.


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And they continue to renew their licenses without a driving and/or written test.


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