2 seriously hurt as driver plows through crowd of shoppers
COVINGTON, Wash. - The pre-Black Friday festivities turned frightening Thursday night when an SUV drove over two shoppers in a store parking lot, seriously injuring them.
King County deputies say the incident unfolded at the Wal-Mart store in Covington at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
According to witnesses, the driver of the SUV appeared to accelerate as the two shoppers were walking through the parking lot area toward the store entrance.
One of the victims, a woman in her 40s, was trapped under the vehicle as horrified shoppers looked on. Passers-by rushed to her aid and were able to free her.
Medics were on the scene almost immediately and rushed the woman and her boyfriend to Harborview Medical Center. The woman suffered injuries to her pelvis and head, and the man sustained head injuries.
"We actually had two deputies that were actually working here overtime for the crowds tonight. They heard loud commotions, saw people running to the area, were immediately able to help the victims and contact the driver," said King County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sgt. Cindi West.
Deputies arrested the driver of the SUV, a 71-year-old man, for suspicion of DUI.
He will likely be charged with vehicular assault, West said.
King County deputies say the incident unfolded at the Wal-Mart store in Covington at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
According to witnesses, the driver of the SUV appeared to accelerate as the two shoppers were walking through the parking lot area toward the store entrance.
One of the victims, a woman in her 40s, was trapped under the vehicle as horrified shoppers looked on. Passers-by rushed to her aid and were able to free her.
Medics were on the scene almost immediately and rushed the woman and her boyfriend to Harborview Medical Center. The woman suffered injuries to her pelvis and head, and the man sustained head injuries.
"We actually had two deputies that were actually working here overtime for the crowds tonight. They heard loud commotions, saw people running to the area, were immediately able to help the victims and contact the driver," said King County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sgt. Cindi West.
Deputies arrested the driver of the SUV, a 71-year-old man, for suspicion of DUI.
He will likely be charged with vehicular assault, West said.
This comment has been deleted
@n9078jk4 Thanks for the chuckle!
 @n9078jk4 Did I miss something? How did this turn into a Global Warming discussion? Huh...
This comment has been deleted
 @n9078jk4 soooo, your saying that the victims would have been in much better shape if they'd been run down by a Prius? Huh........
 @n9078jk4 - Read the article - the driver of this SUV was DUI - as in arrested at the scene, facing two counts of vehicular assault. Your babble has no relevance to this story.
This comment has been deleted
@n9078jk4 Make sure you include yourself in that 95% troll.
they will slap this person on the wrist and put them back on the streets to try again by morning....
Drunk 71 year old at wal-mart .  driving through a crowd. Take his license away for good and confiscate the Vehicle. This Ahole does not need to be driving. No common sense to drive down to walmart drunk when there is a big crowd. wring your hands all you want but this guy needs jail and no car .  those people he ran over were just minding their own business , then this moron comes along. cmon where is the outrage !
Walmartians!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9LDM8Oix8
Drunk, or no drunk driver, this is a pure example of the sickness called Black Friday, Christmas Hype, and ridiculous retail-ism.Sick!
@Yadayada One thing I don't think people realize is that, because of how the streets and this parking lot are situated, many people cut through this lot even though they aren't going to WalMart. There is a senior housing place just up the street and it's possible this guy was heading home from somewhere and cutting through the lot. It's a pretty convoluted set up that can get people impatient. It doesn't mean it had anything to do with Black Friday - UNLESS - that is your agenda in posting here. If so, then there's nothing anyone here can say that will matter - blame a store sale and not a drunk......whatvrz.
@AuburnGuy Not to be too technical but you can see from the picture that he is in front of the store, going the opposite direction of the senior housing. If he were just cutting through he would have been facing the other way and at the back of the lot.
@jellyfish  Touche'. :-) However, virtually none of the prior people posting comments would know or understand that. They only know "blah blah WalMart blah blah Black Friday blah blah Evil Corporatoin", which of course has nothing to do with a drunk guy running over two shoppers - unless every day is Black Friday. :-)
 @AuburnGuy  We can be pretty sure we know where he was heading home from. His local watering hole.
Huh?
 @AuburnGuy Even that is a stretch for me who dislikes Black Friday....
Sick and embarrassing our society has become to save a couple bucks.
@AdAckbar Huh?
And cue Christmas spirit in 3...2...1...
 @cm257n7 I think the "Christmas spirit" is now called "selfish greed"
@Smartypants @cm257n7 Only if that is you. For most of us it simply isn't that way.
 @AuburnGuy  @Smartypants I'm glad you had a good day with your daughter. I had a good day with mine and my grandson, watching re-runs and just chatting....... However you spend quality time is a good thing in my book.......
@Smartypants I can certainly agree with that, but to be honest my 17 year old daughter and I had a really nice time today hitting a couple of stores, a restaurant and Starbucks. It wasn't about the half priced socks or creme brûlée lattes, but rather about spending some time together and saving some money buying donations together. :-)
 @AuburnGuy For the record, I completely avoid stores on the weekend after Thanksgiving, even the grocery - I plan ahead.  And the "stuff" they are selling is of marginal to no interest to me or mine.  We're more interested in experiences with each other, than stuff.
How many people have to get hurt or killed, before this whole black friday thing becomes illegal. It's getting ridiculous and it's not worth it just to make a bunch of greedy shopping centers more money.Â
 @citizen kane How is this about black friday shopping? This is about some dumba$$ who can't hold his alcohol, probably has a few DUI's on his record, who hit a woman and her boyfriend as they were out shopping. No where in this article does it state this accident is tied to black friday - it would be no different any other day of the week.
@ citizen kane Illegal? Last time I checked, I lived in the USA where we enjoy certain liberties, like free enterprise.
 @justmyopinion Now That I can certainly agree with :)
 @citizen kane Hmm.  Selling something on a Friday at a lower price. Yes, that should be illegal.  Online shopping only.  Curfew from 7pm to 8am.  We'll ban cars too, and walking at night.  There's no indication from this story that the drunk 71 year old had any intent to go shopping for anything but more booze. Â
 @Redemshank  @citizen kane Actually the story really doesnt say was drunk, only that that he was arrested for suspicion of a DUI...He very could have been a diabetic having a low blood sugar reaction for all we know. As a matter of fact, he could have been at Walmart just to pick up some whipping cream and wasnt there for the madness to begin at all.......we certainly dont know from what is listed in the story. Just Sayin'
 @AuburnGuy  @Susabelle  @Redemshank  @citizen Ah, well, having lived with a diabetic for most of my life, ketones actually do smell like someone has had too much to drink........... But honestly the only thing that is a fact is two people are injured......I wish them the best and a full recovery.
@Susabelle @Redemshank @citizen kane On the news last night they said that he smelled of alcohol but had yet to do a blood test.
Somehow I don't think this had anything to do with black friday shopping- the driver was drunk.
Best wishes to the victims.
Â
Since when is 2 a crowd?
@komoispropaganda Exactly. Nothing like another sensationalized title to get people to read it. Pathetic but unsurprising. It works.
just another reason not to go to Walmart on Black Friday! I hope they make a full recovery.
@ladybug1 Uh, it was Thursday.
Not a joke--Covington is full of drunk drivers, and one of the major side roads goes right through the Wal-mart parking lot because they haven't cut the road through the Kindercare parking lot yet. It was just a matter of time till a drunk ran someone over.
@chandler The road layout is a very important point in all this. I would not be surprised to learn he was just passing through.
Ok, there is absolutely no excuse to drive drunk ANYWHERE, I think it is time for some of these shoppers to look where they are walking as well, I have been to Wal-Mart on any given day, and most people walk right out in front of cars, they walk right down the middle of the rows, they never look, just walk anywhere they want, it might be better for everyone to watch where they are walking in a store parking lot with so many cars around, it of course is worse at night, and if it is raining, I've had people walk right behind me as I was backing up, not paying one bit of attention, I'm not putting blame on these people who were run down, I just feel that we need to pay more attention to where we are walking and not expect drivers to know you are there.
I was listening to the Auburn Police scanner last night and at 10PM there was a report of a lady being "trampled" at the Walmart there. This is the I do ALL my gift shopping online and have done so for at least 10 years.
@NRasmussen Probably a good idea.
And it begins....
71 years old?! Holy Crap, thats an old age to be driving!
 @grayfox Holy Crap, you think 71 is too old to be driving, what are you, 12 or something ?!
you have no idea what you are talking about.Â
 @grayfox What an ageist comment!  Most 71 year olds are sharper than the airheaded/testosterone-fueled, texting, arrogant 20-somethings I see on the roads.
Yeah, he should have a driver. By the way who do you think will be driving for you when youre 71? Better plan now. You'd be surprised how fast you get there.
 @grayfox I've got an 80 year-old neighbor that I rather see driving that some of these 20-something texters.....
 @grayfox No it's not! I know a lot of people who drive at that age, or older, and they're just fine. The reason why this was a problem is because the idiot was probably drunk!
 @grayfox Depends on the individual, my dad is 78 and he still is a fine driver.......my aunt however should not be allowed on the roads.
Wow, that sucks. Hopefully the two victims will recover quickly.
Â
Such a tragic accident to happen on Thanksgiving day. Within just hours of a feast that signifies being neighborly, giving thanks, and caring for friends and family... the epitome of greed and selfishness rises like a plague and it is called Black Friday.
Â
Normally kind and gentle people morph into strange, unrecognizable beings. They shout "ME FIRST ME FIRST ME FIRST!!!! Forget you... ME FIRST!!!"
Â
Out there in Black Friday land there is nothing that I need, I've already got my home and my family. Go ahead... be first. I slept in this morning and presently still wear my PJ's (darn proud of it too). I'm gonna make me a turkey sammich with extra cranberries, and sit down with my family and watch some football. Just like I did 20 years ago, just like I'll do 20 years from now.
@lilhikergrl Me first exists every single day of the year in the world we live in. I love to go out on Black Friday and get the specific things on my list. I get some good deals. Saved $150 on one item yesterday. But, I have a plan when I go out. The best way to go to Black Friday is with coupons and mid-morning when the crazy people are at breakfast.
@lilhikergirl Not so suprising when you consider that after the first Thanksgiving Feast the Pilgrims murdered the Indians and stole their land.  That's how they thanked the Indians for sharing their bountiful crops with them after their crops failed because they didn't know how to farm in the new land.
 @justmyopinion  @lilhikergirl I bet you were up all night trying to come up that one.
 @Funky-Munky So happy to hear from you.....have you been out risking life and limb in the madness??? LOL I hope you had a lovely Turkey Day!
 @Susabelle I survived...  :D)Â
 @justmyopinion Well you are right about one thing, the thought of shopping on Black Friday DOES make me tremble in my slippers......which are happily still on my feet. I am not ashamed to admit it either!
 @Susabelle Who said anything about not celebrating? I was just pointing out some history to lilhikergirl. You're the one who's trembling in your slippers about going shopping on Black Friday, not me!
@luke0walton Oh, zinger! Yup, that's just what happened because I knew lilhikergirl was going to make that statement today...
 @Luke0walton  @justmyopinion not likely, or he would have remembered what happened after Jesus' birth....yet we do still celebrate that one too.........