ianstone
10-08-2010, 09:45 AM
Before you read the story, was it a male or female driver, be honest ?
Toronto (http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/)
Last Updated: October 8, 2010 8:55am
http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/?src=http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/10/07/elderlyW.jpg&size=248x186 A gold Mazda 3, driven by an 83-year-old , caused $120,000 damage to cars in a Scarborough parking lot Thursday, Toronto Police said. (IRENE THOMAIDIS/Toronto Sun)
An elderly driver went on a 120-metre path of destruction in a Scarborough parking lot Thursday afternoon, causing $120,000 in damage to eight vehicles but miraculously harming no one.
The 83-year-old woman was in the Cliffcrest Plaza strip mall lot, on Kingston Rd. east of McCowan Rd., when she “somehow lost control of her vehicle, hit the accelerator and went speeding through the parking lot” around 3:20 p.m., Toronto Police Const. Wayne Thompson said.
Before stopping, the out-of-control gold, four-door Mazda 3 hit seven parked vehicles — totaling three of them, plus her own.
"Hundreds of shoppers were nearby, and we're extremely fortunate there were no injuries,” Thompson said. “One woman was just a couple of feet from her car when it was struck."
Witness Alison McDonald, 45, of Toronto, said she was “in shock” during the incident, but somehow managed to call 911.
She said she heard the sound of screeching tires and looked up to see the Mazda barreling eastward across the parking lot, striking several cars along the way.
“Then it turned 180 degrees, hopped over two curbs - completely airborne – and hit another car and flipped onto its side” sliding into one final vehicle before coming to a stop, McDonald said. “A group of people pulled the elderly lady out of the car while I was still on the phone with 911.”
The owner of one of the damaged cars said she heard something, but didn’t realize what had happened until she left the plaza’s dollar store to find the front of her vehicle smashed.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without my car. This is just insane,” said the woman who did not want to give her name.
The elderly woman was not injured, but was sent to hospital as a precaution, Thompson said.
He estimated the damage at $120,000.
Your Comments
Just another incident that proves elderly drivers need to take a ROAD test to renew their license after a certain age-perhaps 75 or 80? It's a small inconvenience to ensure safety on our roads. To the elderly that say they are good drivers and should be able to keep their license--I guess you won't mind taking a road test then?
In fact it was a woman.
Toronto (http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/)
Last Updated: October 8, 2010 8:55am
http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/?src=http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/10/07/elderlyW.jpg&size=248x186 A gold Mazda 3, driven by an 83-year-old , caused $120,000 damage to cars in a Scarborough parking lot Thursday, Toronto Police said. (IRENE THOMAIDIS/Toronto Sun)
An elderly driver went on a 120-metre path of destruction in a Scarborough parking lot Thursday afternoon, causing $120,000 in damage to eight vehicles but miraculously harming no one.
The 83-year-old woman was in the Cliffcrest Plaza strip mall lot, on Kingston Rd. east of McCowan Rd., when she “somehow lost control of her vehicle, hit the accelerator and went speeding through the parking lot” around 3:20 p.m., Toronto Police Const. Wayne Thompson said.
Before stopping, the out-of-control gold, four-door Mazda 3 hit seven parked vehicles — totaling three of them, plus her own.
"Hundreds of shoppers were nearby, and we're extremely fortunate there were no injuries,” Thompson said. “One woman was just a couple of feet from her car when it was struck."
Witness Alison McDonald, 45, of Toronto, said she was “in shock” during the incident, but somehow managed to call 911.
She said she heard the sound of screeching tires and looked up to see the Mazda barreling eastward across the parking lot, striking several cars along the way.
“Then it turned 180 degrees, hopped over two curbs - completely airborne – and hit another car and flipped onto its side” sliding into one final vehicle before coming to a stop, McDonald said. “A group of people pulled the elderly lady out of the car while I was still on the phone with 911.”
The owner of one of the damaged cars said she heard something, but didn’t realize what had happened until she left the plaza’s dollar store to find the front of her vehicle smashed.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without my car. This is just insane,” said the woman who did not want to give her name.
The elderly woman was not injured, but was sent to hospital as a precaution, Thompson said.
He estimated the damage at $120,000.
Your Comments
Just another incident that proves elderly drivers need to take a ROAD test to renew their license after a certain age-perhaps 75 or 80? It's a small inconvenience to ensure safety on our roads. To the elderly that say they are good drivers and should be able to keep their license--I guess you won't mind taking a road test then?
In fact it was a woman.