Driver mistakes gas pedal for brake, crashes into pizzeria
OAK HARBOR, Wash. -- The Little Caesar's Pizza restaurant in Oak Harbor was heavily damaged Wednesday after a car came crashing through the front of the restaurant.
Police say an elderly woman apparently mistook the gas pedal for the brake and the car shot forward, making it through the front wall and about halfway into the restaurant.
The car also bumped into the pizza oven, which created smoke from the cooking pizzas that set off the sprinkler system.
The store manager was pinned between the counter and the wall, but only suffered a few scrapes. Miraculously, no one else was injured.
Police are still investigating the incident.
Police say an elderly woman apparently mistook the gas pedal for the brake and the car shot forward, making it through the front wall and about halfway into the restaurant.
The car also bumped into the pizza oven, which created smoke from the cooking pizzas that set off the sprinkler system.
The store manager was pinned between the counter and the wall, but only suffered a few scrapes. Miraculously, no one else was injured.
Police are still investigating the incident.
Last time I was at the DOL with someone I watched as they gave a license to someone who could no longer see or hear. Told her she would have to drive only during daylight hours?? So if your blind and deaf itâs ok to drive by feel as long as you do it during the day?
I wonder if she would be willing to wipe out the Little Sneazers near us?
How long is the State going to allow elder drivers that should not be driving continue until they hurt someone,,,, Some of these drivers cant even walk, but we allow they to still drive,,,,
This was no accident. Has anyone tried their pizza lately? Last time I had some I felt like driving through the building too.
Now that's a lot of dough!!!!
@HallandOates Get your pizza - 30mph or less, or it free!!!
"Driver mistakes gas pedal for brake"
Please, KOMO - please retire for good this lame, invalid, overused excuse.
A person commiting the offense of no longer operating a motor vehicle competently should be more descript, maybe????
Time for a driving test.
No matter your age, if you are mistaking stationary pedals for each other, time to stop driving.
Gee, so shocked.
Give her a cell phone and a GPS and send her on her way.
Reminds me of my 90 year old aunt in Socal still driving her 1968 Caddy like a bat out of hell...
"elderly woman " I knew it as soon as I saw the title of the article. Time to surrender the license!!!
Knew right away from the headline the drive was elderly. Â Once you can't figure out which pedal is which it is time to quit driving - and likely long before that.
pizza pizza
Drive through Pizzeria?
When you mistake the gas pedal for the brakes, it's time to give up driving.
Do not smoke weed ladies and gentlemen
First they will come for your driver's license at 65 then they will come for your guns next! It's a slippery slope people! 2nd Amendment remedies!Â
I am 68 and voluntarily gave up driving this year. I've never mistaken the brake and gas pedals and only had one accident which was over 30 years ago. I quit driving because of my degenerating night vision and the increased costs compared to how often I was driving. Mostly just errands. It's hard giving up your independence but I sure didn't want to be resposible for harming someone.Â
@Darn it! Good on you. I wish more people were as responsible as you are.Â
@Tattooed_Angel2Â Thanks. It makes things more difficult especially living in a rural area but it was the right thing to do.
Give the driver some points for honesty - and cut up their license.
They need cars for elderly drivers that only have one pedal which they let up so let the car go and a GPS device that figures out the speed limit is and limits the car to that limit.
Same type of incident happend in Renton a few months back. The car crashed into an insurance company business, and killed the manager who was sitting at her desk! Never heard anything other than it was an 'elderly' person driving. Â
@1opinion I remember that one, too. That, too, was an elderly lady. Afterwards, at the scene, she was "confused" and didn't know what happened. The victim was actually not the manager, but an office worker in her sixties from Bonnie Lake. Indeed, just sitting at her desk, she got run over by an out of control car.... Not a nice way to go... :(
The article title says pizzeria but the picture is of a place that sells flavored cardboard.
"cardboard cardboard"
@Just_Mike Little Caesar's is NOT a pizzeria but a place you go just before starving to death. Yep, flavored cardboard and not much flavoring.
Although the crazy bread is pretty good. :)
@Just_Mike Flavored?
@Getov Mylon @Just_Mike It's weird, my first job was at Little Caesars but this was before the "Hot N Ready" thing.....we actually made all our pizza fresh like any other place. I will say it was much better than what you get now....
@dg54321 @Getov Mylon @Just_Mike Little Caesars was everywhere in Texas where I grew up. What a terrible pizza. And that was in the mid 80s.Â
I had a similar experience. Â The first time I took my dirt bike out, I popped the clutch and the bike went right out from under me...yet my hand just gripped the throttle harder and that made the bike run...with me hanging on across the yard and through my grandmothers garden. Â
@DeadRabitz My ex did that too, except he hit a tree & shattered his leg (a week before our wedding - guess I should have seen the handwriting on the wall for that one!)
I don't know what qualifies as elderly anymore but after this I hope this driver seriously re-considers their driving ability.
I was in a Bartell's Drug Store parking lot when an elderly woman did the same thing (hit the gas instead of her brake). She shot across some landscaping and without a pause made another approach and parked her car. This was on the heels of an elderly man jumping the curb at the same Bartell's in Burien a few weeks prior and ran his car through the wall.  Scary, very scary.
@jdoll88Â Remind me to never shop at Bartell!!!
Cars are weapons, deadly weapons. This could have been prevented if someone inside the restaurant had been armed with a gun and ready to use it against these murderous vehicles.Â
@lakeview Are you going to include some asinine gun comment on every single story that has NOTHING to do with guns?
@Necrobio @lakeview  Sorry I just watched Christine and its got me on edge.Â
I hate to say it but once you hit a certain age you should have to retake the test. Unfortunately we hear these stories over and over again.
More reason why people need to retake the drivers test once past 60......I would bet many of them could not pass and are a danger to themselves and everyone else being behind the wheel of a car.
@dg54321 That "infringes" on my rights. Why should law abiding drivers have to be punished for the acts of a few irresponsible car owners?Â
@lakeview: You are badly mistaken. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege earned after you prove your skill. Hence licensing.
As a retired proffesional driver and quickly approaching the magic 65, I do not relish the thought of having to re-prove my skills. But I am also not foolish. My dad was a very good driver as well, but we had to take the keys away from him. I realize that I have slowed down considerably from my youth and do not look forward to the day when I have to hang up my keys.
That wouldn't infringe on anyone's rights....you pass the test you keep driving, you don't the streets are just a little bit safer.
We had a devil of a time taking away my ex's grandmother's keys. She'd back up until she hit the fence and pull forward until she hit something. It was horrible and she refused to admit it.
@dg54321Â - I think past 65 - I only say this as I'm only 2 years away from 60. ;) Â Actually I think everybody should have to do a physical driving test every few years - some people still don't know how to drive and they are younger. Â I could go on and on with what I see on the road everyday but you know what I mean.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/154175/crazy-old-drivers Just for the funny......
I'd like a large cheese pizza please.....and some diet coke.
The diet pop always off sets the LG pizza :>) the new math
The car went so far in as to hit hit the pizza oven? Yikes. Glad only one person had minor injuries, if this had happened when someone was taking a pizza out of the oven it could have ended horribly.