Horror stories of elderly drivers accidentally pressing the gas instead of the brakes have given older drivers a bad reputation. As we age, we experience increased visual, mobility, and memory impairments. These impairments can affect a senior’s ability to drive or the ability to react to situations. The incident of fatal crashes per miles traveled increased for drivers who are aged 70 to 74. It is highest among drivers who are aged 85 and older. In contrast to these statistics, elderly drivers are more likely to wear their seat belts. Older drivers are also less likely to drive while impaired than their younger counterparts.
16 News Now reports that a surveillance camera captured a man leaping out of the path of a car just before it slammed into a storefront.
The incident happened on Tuesday. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries. According to Suffolk Police, an 86-year-old driver, who had his 82-year-old wife in the car, drove the vehicle through a glass storefront in West Islip. The vehicle first began to slow down and then accelerated through the front of the Homegrown Insurance office.
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Dan Weber, the owner of the office, said that an employee contacted him, crying hysterically. Video shows that 25-year-old Shannon Doherty climbed onto a cubicle wall to avoid being crushed. Janel Weber said that the car came plowing through the front window without stopping.
A man who was walking in front of the office had to leap to safety to avoid being hit. He was not injured. The male driver and his wife only suffered from minor injuries in the crash.
Police report that the accident was not a criminal act.
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