An elderly man, and all those around him, was lucky to escape serious injury after crashing into two buildings and coming to rest hanging over a concrete stairwell at Kearny Medical Center in San Diego, again demonstrating the serious safety risks of pressing the wrong pedal in a panic situation. According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the ordeal took place in the late morning hours as the 70 year old man was attempting to acquire a parking voucher from a ticket booth in front of the complex when his vehicle began to roll. Disoriented from the movement, the man inadvertently pressed the gas pedal instead of the brakes, sending him crashing through the booth. A spokesman from the SDFRD, Maurice Luque, said that the elderly driver’s vehicle screamed “like a rocket” through the parking gate’s deployed arm, up over a curb, through a metal guardrail, and into the medical center itself before coming to a stop hanging over a set of concrete stairs between the complex’s parking garage and the buildings he had just struck. Judy Taylor, who was on her way to the medical facility for an appointment, was narrowly missed by the out of control car. “He just flew straight through non-stop and hit,” she said. “Once he hit, he tried to get out of the car so I went behind him and told him to look at me in the mirror… kept him focused, kept him in the car because he was trying to get out.” Stunned by what had just taken place, the elderly man attempted to exit his vehicle, not fully realizing that he was suspended over a significant drop. Emergency personnel responding to the scene were able to keep him inside while they secured his vehicle, at which time they pulled him to safety. Though unhurt, he was sent to a nearby hospital for evaluation before being picked up and taken home by his daughter. A Portion of the facility was shut down following the crash, and an engineer was brought on site to assess the damages to the buildings that were hit. Only minor damages were inflicted, though the outcome could have been substantially worse, both to the buildings and the elderly man himself. “Through the grace of God and some good luck, the car did not go down [into the stairwell] when it jumped the area,” said Luque. “It went straight across.” Judy Taylor was able to avoid serious harm as well, as she had fallen shortly before incident took place. “I crossed the street, tripped and fell,” she said. “Who knew? That probably saved me.” The crash serves as another reminder of the potentially dangers of pressing the wrong pedal, particularly in confined areas like parking lots. Though almost no harm resulted from the ordeal, serious and even life threatening injuries could have easily been inflicted. To help combat this dangerous possibility, a number of car makers including Toyota and Mercedes Benz have begun development of collision warning systems designed to prevent drivers from pressing the wrong pedal. Some of these accident avoidance technologies can even scan a vehicle’s surroundings, and if inadequate space is detected in a particular direction, drivers will be unable to move in that direction, even if they accidentally press the accelerator, or shift into reverse when intending to move forward. Until these systems become readily available however, it will remain important for drivers to avoid making rash decisions in panic situations. When an uncomfortable scene begins to develop, keeping safe depends on your ability to remain calm; rarely will quickly accelerating solve the problem. Always be mindful of the potential for danger to appear, and never allow yourself to become overcome with panic, influencing you into poor decisions that end in accidents. At AA Accident Attorneys, we can provide you with experienced legal assistance throughout the state of California, and have an accident lawyer to represent you in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Riverside.
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