Posted on 05/22/2004 10:57:19 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Three women in their 70s were hospitalized after an elderly motorist apparently lost control of her Mercedes-Benz and plowed into the La Valencia Hotel on Prospect Street yesterday afternoon, police said.
A busy stretch of Prospect Street was closed for about 90 minutes as paramedics tended to the injured and police conducted their investigation.
The accident victims were near the Whaling Bar & Grill at the La Valencia about 1:30 p.m. when an 87-year-old woman driving a 1978 Mercedes-Benz suddenly accelerated in front of the hotel, jumped the curb and struck them with her vehicle, traffic investigators said.
"Witnesses told us that the Mercedes driver became mad after she backed into a 2003 Ford Bronco, then put the car in drive, accelerated and hit the women," Sgt. Tom Carmody said.
It was unclear whether the motorist was trying to park in a diagonal spot in front of the hotel.
The most serious injuries were suffered by a 74-year-old woman who was hospitalized with two broken legs, cuts and bruises and head trauma. The two other pedestrians suffered lesser injuries.
The driver complained of chest pain and sustained a head injury when she struck the steering wheel in the crash. She was not wearing a seat belt, police said.
All were taken to a hospital, but reports on their conditions could not be obtained.
The driver of the Bronco was not hurt. The vehicle sustained minor damage, police said.
Witnesses said the accident could have been worse. Numerous people were on the sidewalk at the time, but most were able to scatter out of harm's way.
"I heard this horrible screech of rubber, and some shouting," said Bradford Fullmer, who had just left a nearby Starbucks. "By the time I looked that way, the car was already in the front of the hotel."
Wayne Johnson said he feared the worst because the sidewalk was so busy.
"I looked under the car to see if anybody was trapped. Luckily there wasn't, " he said.
She was probably upset at being unable to get a seat at the best piano bar in the San Diego area. Popular place.
Very swanky digs, down La Jolla way.
(La Jolla is a section of San Diego city)
Shouldn't that say geezerette?
Good thing it wasn't an SUV. Headline would have said "SUV Plows Into Crowd."
I would expect this of SUV not a Mercedes. Geez
Sadly, this is often the way an elderly person's independence comes to an end. The next stop is usually a nursing home and then the wait for the invevitable. The same thing happened to my deceased father, except all he did was destroy the neighbors' air conditioner and smash into a tree, which kept him from doing a lot more damage.
One of the great things about the "Sopranos" is how the writers skillfully combine real family problems everybody faces with Tony's unique "family" problems. Mama Livia's independence ended with the same kind of accident and Tony dealt with the problem the same way most of us have to--he put her in a nursing home.
Obviously, her madness was inspired by the Bronco.
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