OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Doing some running around today with my wife along with our two boys today and our travels led us to one of the local Shoppers Drug Mart locations to pick up some prescriptions. We were just walking back out of the store and had crossed the central line of parked cars and were about 20ft from our vehicle when we heard "CRASH" then "BANG BANG BANG BANG" and saw multiple cars on the far side of the centre parking area moving!!!
We turn around and head over to ensure everybody is OK and the carnage is incredible for something happening in a lot where no real speed is possible.
FOUR cars are wrenched from their parking spots and now on angles in various states of damage, the worst being a Toyota Matrix with the entire rear ripped off of it, a huge dent in the rear drivers side door and another large dent near the bumper support on the same side.
About 10ft away, stopped, is a Hyundai Accent. A little old lady gets out, clearly shaken, she had to be in at least her late 80's, and she's saying "oh, did I do this?"
A University student, having come from her car, is pretty upset and tells me that she was the first car hit. That the lady pulled out of the parking spot beside her, but not far enough and then went forward VERY FAST into the back corner of her car, which then slid, hitting the car beside her and the rest was obvious. The Hyundai kept going, taking the rear of the Matrix off and nailing the back corner of a very new Camry before the brakes were applied. The smaller impacts, like those on the doors, were from the cars hitting each other in the chain reaction.
The general consensus reached was that after backing out she had engaged drive, had moved forward, realized she wasn't going to clear the Focus and so stepped on the brake to change into reverse again. Only she didn't step on the brake, instead she floored the gas and by the time she figured out what was going on, she had severely damaged four cars.
She wasn't in any state to drive after the incident, she wasn't even sure what had happened, so my wife offered to escort her to the collision reporting centre to make the report, which she seemed relieved about, as she was shaking like a leaf and obviously extremely upset. Her driving at that point would have done nobody any favours.
I am of the opinion that this woman, similar to my grandmother when she was the same age, should probably not have been driving. My Grandmother rolled her Blazer and didn't even know it until she realized the vehicle had no windows in it
Her license was (thankfully) pulled after that. I believe Ontario has a system for the elderly for license verification but it isn't, IMHO, strict enough. There needs to be a reasonable length road test where actual driving ability can be properly gauged and decisions made regarding that individual's suitability to be behind the wheel. My parents, who are getting up there themselves are in agreement with this, as are most I talk to. I believe it would make the roads safer for everybody.
We turn around and head over to ensure everybody is OK and the carnage is incredible for something happening in a lot where no real speed is possible.
FOUR cars are wrenched from their parking spots and now on angles in various states of damage, the worst being a Toyota Matrix with the entire rear ripped off of it, a huge dent in the rear drivers side door and another large dent near the bumper support on the same side.
About 10ft away, stopped, is a Hyundai Accent. A little old lady gets out, clearly shaken, she had to be in at least her late 80's, and she's saying "oh, did I do this?"
A University student, having come from her car, is pretty upset and tells me that she was the first car hit. That the lady pulled out of the parking spot beside her, but not far enough and then went forward VERY FAST into the back corner of her car, which then slid, hitting the car beside her and the rest was obvious. The Hyundai kept going, taking the rear of the Matrix off and nailing the back corner of a very new Camry before the brakes were applied. The smaller impacts, like those on the doors, were from the cars hitting each other in the chain reaction.
The general consensus reached was that after backing out she had engaged drive, had moved forward, realized she wasn't going to clear the Focus and so stepped on the brake to change into reverse again. Only she didn't step on the brake, instead she floored the gas and by the time she figured out what was going on, she had severely damaged four cars.
She wasn't in any state to drive after the incident, she wasn't even sure what had happened, so my wife offered to escort her to the collision reporting centre to make the report, which she seemed relieved about, as she was shaking like a leaf and obviously extremely upset. Her driving at that point would have done nobody any favours.
I am of the opinion that this woman, similar to my grandmother when she was the same age, should probably not have been driving. My Grandmother rolled her Blazer and didn't even know it until she realized the vehicle had no windows in it
