yet another elderly person crashes into a farmer's market

[Shell]

Oh no!!! Who knew the farmer's market was so dangerous???? :sad:

washingtonpost.com
Elderly Driver Loses Control, 6 Injured
The Associated Press
Friday, July 25, 2003; 2:21 PM

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - A 79-year-old man apparently lost control of his car and plowed into a northern Florida farmer's market Friday, sending six people to hospitals, law officers said.

The driver blamed the accident on a stuck gas pedal, Fire Chief Jon Macdonald said.

The man was getting ready to leave the weekly market's parking lot when his car rammed three or four other vehicles, then hit the six people near a peaches and strawberry stand, Macdonald said.

Most seriously hurt was a 7-year-old girl whose leg was run over by the car. None of the six had life-threatening injuries, he said. The driver was unhurt and was released.

Police officer Frank Parrish said the driver, identified as Louis Nirenstein, was allowed to park inside the market because he uses a wheelchair.

Macdonald helped him out of the car after the crash, about 75 miles south of Jacksonville.

"He was coherent and talking to me. ... He was very upset that somebody got hurt," he said.

Last week, an elderly driver plowed into a farmers market outside Los Angeles, killing 10 and injuring 69.

[Kat]

And this week, an elderly woman (78, I think) plowed into a storefront down by Crabtree. No-one was injured. Think that someday they will mandate driver's testing over a certain age?

-Kat

[Caniac]

Yeah like the title on Fark says:

Farmers are going to have to start growing large cement barriers

[lvscolencanes]

And this week, an elderly woman (78, I think) plowed into a storefront down by Crabtree. No-one was injured. Think that someday they will mandate driver's testing over a certain age?

-Kat

I agree totally, too many accidents happen too frequently for them not to. I think they should pass a law that you have to take your drivers test every 5 years after you turn 65. :)

[Jeff O Rocks]

I am all about someone's freedom....but when it gets to the point when someone elderly is not alert in the car and gets the brake pedal confused with the gas, it is time to park it. It is dangerous enough out there already.

[Stormbringer]

And this week, an elderly woman (78, I think) plowed into a storefront down by Crabtree. No-one was injured. Think that someday they will mandate driver's testing over a certain age?

I agree totally, too many accidents happen too frequently for them not to. I think they should pass a law that you have to take your drivers test every 5 years after you turn 65. :)

Agree wholeheartedly with this...three accidents of a similar manner in just one week is too horrible to ignore and something should be done.

Anyone else finding it interesting how more such accidents have been mentioned since the one in L.A.? Reminds me of the string of shark attacks mentioned in the media after the one that happened on the Gulf Coast a couple of years ago...

[Shell]

I think they should be tested every year, not every 5 years. Once you hit your 70's and 80's it doesn't take long to deteriorate rapidly. I also think they should at least hear families out (i.e., when we told them my grandfather had dementia and was an alcoholic, they still renewed his license and then he went and drove INTO my aunt and uncle's house at 2:00 a.m. with no clue where he was)

[Kat]

I agree with Shell. I had an elderly aunt who was going downhill from Alzheimer's and they waited until she mowed down a gas pump (I am NOT kidding) before taking her license and car away.

-Kat

[Lady J]

You know, in NC, after the age of 65, people's driver's licences become PERMANENT. They don't have to take a driving test ever again. :eek2:
And, the state requires that the drving test become easier for drivers as they age. NOT good.

[Stormbringer]

And, the state requires that the drving test become easier for drivers as they age. NOT good.

Definitely NOT good. I've seen what you mentioned first hand Lady J. Almost a couple of years ago, I went to a DMV office in Louisburg to take a driving test. And while my mother and I were waiting for my turn, we watched an elderly man taking (what was more than likely his last) driving test, and you could tell his vision was much less than 20/20. The test required him to recognize various road signs and do a couple of other things that I vaguely remember. To my mother and I's amazement, the man passed, which prompted us to discuss on the way home about how scary it is for an elderly person to easily keep their license when something like that should be often checked and not tested for a final time and forgotten.

[Jeff O Rocks]

In a world where on the interstate people are driving 80 mph, eating, drinking, applying makeup, reading, smoking and talking on the phone...sometimes doing more than one of these things at the same time....on a daily basis...yes I see this on I-40...I think stricter laws need to be enforced. It is easy to get distracted, and when you throw a little forgetfulness and confusion in there, it is a recipe for disaster! :roll:

[Lady J]

In a world where on the interstate people are driving 80 mph, eating, drinking, applying makeup, reading, smoking and talking on the phone...sometimes doing more than one of these things at the same time....on a daily basis...yes I see this on I-40...I think stricter laws need to be enforced. It is easy to get distracted, and when you throw a little forgetfulness and confusion in there, it is a recipe for disaster! :roll:

you're so right :) See, I KNOW I'm not a great driver, so as soon as I can afford a cheuffer, I'ma goin' for it! heheheh

I do understand why older folks want to keep their licences, though ~ they want to feel like they can control their lives, be mobile. The way this city is laid out, it's not pedestrian friendly by a long shot, and driving is the only way to get around really. In bigger urban areas in the US and the UK, most people don't need cars in order to maintain their lifestyle well into old age. So, it looks like Raleigh's going to need to come up with a good transportation alternative for the elderly here fairly soon.

[Shell]

Raleigh has the poorest public transportation system of all the bigger cities I have lived in (30). For example, hwy 64, which I live on, has a reputation for being one of the absolute worst for traffic (i.e., the first 6 miles of our drive in the morning takes over 30 minutes) yet they don't even send buses here. I have 0 (ZERO) public transportation options. Get the freaking Marta here already!!!!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

A 78 year old lady wrote an article for the "My Turn" section of Newsweek recently in which she talked about how she believes that after a certain age folks should be required to take their drivers' test each time they get their car inspected. If we have to have the equipment checked out every year why not the operator? She had recently turned her liscense in and given away her car because, even though she had passed her drivers' test, she knew she was becoming a menace on the road.

[RIO]

I look forward to menacing people when I get old. I try to menace Chickie now, but she's not easily impressed with my "looming" and "wild gesticulations". :beatup:

[Stormbringer]

I look forward to menacing people when I get old. I try to menace Chickie now, but she's not easily impressed with my "looming" and "wild gesticulations". :beatup:

:laugh: