Old People & Driving

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/20/Tampabay/Driver_goes_3_miles_w.shtml

[size=5]A motorist hits a pedestrian on 34th Street, then drives to the Sunshine Skyway with the victim stuck in the windshield.

By CRAIG PITTMAN, Times Staff Writer

Published October 20, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - A 94-year-old motorist struck and killed a pedestrian Wednesday evening, then drove about 3 miles with the body lodged in the windshield until he was stopped at a Sunshine Skyway tollbooth.

The driver told officers he thought the body had fallen from the sky, said St. Petersburg police Officer Mike Jockers.

“He had no idea he had been involved in an accident,” Jockers said. “He doesn’t totally understand what happened.”

The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. when the 52-year-old pedestrian attempted to cross 34th Street S from east to west near 46th Avenue S, witnesses told police.

The pedestrian made it across two of the southbound lanes before he was hit by a 2002 Chevy Malibu, which was traveling about 45 mph, police said.

The impact severed the pedestrian’s lower right leg, which remained in the street. His head and arms went through the windshield, while the rest of his body flipped up onto the roof of the car, Jockers said.

“The driver continued southbound, as the eyewitness said, like nothing happened,” Jockers said.

As the car approached the toll plaza, the toll taker thought it was a prank, until he saw the blood.

When the driver stopped, the body fell into the car, Jockers said.

A veteran traffic investigator, Jockers said it was one of the most gruesome scenes he has worked.

Neither the name of the driver nor the name of the victim was released Wednesday.

The victim had been living in a motel on 34th Street S. Friends said he had been trying to get to McDonald’s for a bite to eat, Jockers said.

The driver, who lives in Pinellas Park, told police that he was headed home. Pinellas Park, however, is miles in the opposite direction.

“Obviously, he was confused,” Jockers said. “Incredibly confused.”

The driver was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for evaluation.

He will probably not face criminal charges, as he appeared unaware that he had been involved in an accident, Jockers said.

– Times staff writer Graham Brink contributed to this report.

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2

im baffled…i dont even know what to think of that.

just another reason as to why some of the elderly do not need to be on the road. innocent pedestrians get hurt and i cant believe you wouldnt notice someone stuck in your windshield with blood everywhere…its a huge obstruction of view…

thats insane.

3

wow, elderly ppl need to be re-tested for driving at some point. I mean come on ppl are dying here

4

:eek:

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/20/images/hit-runmap.gif

5

InB4MyNameComesUp… lol

6

wow thats insane

cant wait till im old and senile, then I can do whatever the hell I want with no consequences…apparently

7

I am pretty old and I bet my driving>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>your driving :wink:

8

EVERYONE should be re-tested on a regular basis. There are plenty of “younger” people driving right now that probably should have never even gotten their license.

9

You aren’t >90 years old tho :slight_smile:

10

holy crap… i’ll be there in a little over a week

11

My mom was in an accident back in May. She was stopped at a red light and there was a Pathfinder behind her. A stupid old bitch slammed the stopped Pathfinder into my mom’s Santa Fe and did $4200 worth of damage. She got out, walked around and then got back in her car and turned the wipers on. It was a bright sunny day. She was 81 and from Maryland. She wanted to drive her car away with a busted up front end and a hood curled up like an A.

12

So, you’re saying, I can go to a bank and rob it and just pretend that I didn’t know I was doing it and I’ll get off scott free?

WTF

13

^^was thinkin the same thing, but then i figured if they actually beleive you, you’ll prolly get instituitionalized. Not to mention this guy is on his last legs, i mean hes 94 how much longer can he possibly live

14

Your are not old enough yet.

15

there is a high volume elderly driver and dumb teenager behind the wheel here in Buffalo

16

I dunno, I don’t think Buffalo drivers are that bad. Just moving here from Rochester I noticed that Rochester drivers seem a lot worse than Buffalo drivers.

17

On the other hand, how many of you are willing to go drive your grandparents everywhere they need to go?

I agree with the retesting, and that they cause many preventable accidents, but just looking at the other end of things.

18

:wtf: He thought he fell from the sky…

:needpic:

19

retest every 4 years FOR EVERYONE

I’m willing to give up a day every 4 years (like leap year) to get re-tested if it means there are 10-20 other people getting tested that will not pass, and for good reason.

Maybe out public transportation system will become more effective if they let less people drive.

20

I hope You are not serious.

I fucking take care of my godmother and grand mother (89 & 81 years old respectivly) and fucking cart them all over the place as my schedule allows. When i cant, my sister (27 years old fwiw) does.

Matter of fact, I’m waiting on a call to pick up the 89 yr old from Sister’s.

Does no one have some sense of civility?