Man accidentally drives over himself
TAMPICO, Wash. (AP) - A man was run over by his own car in the community of Tampico in Yakima County.
The sheriff's office says the 74-year-old was adjusting the idle Monday and reached inside to start the car, forgetting it was in reverse gear.
Yakima Herald-Republic reports the car lurched backward, knocking him down. A tire rolled over his head and chest.
The sheriff's office says the man was conscious when he was taken to Yakima Regional Medical Center.
The sheriff's office says the 74-year-old was adjusting the idle Monday and reached inside to start the car, forgetting it was in reverse gear.
Yakima Herald-Republic reports the car lurched backward, knocking him down. A tire rolled over his head and chest.
The sheriff's office says the man was conscious when he was taken to Yakima Regional Medical Center.
Hoping for a speedy recovery for the injured man. These types of situations do happen and I feel bad for him. Definitely not a laughing matter.
It can happen and how scary. Hope he makes a full recovery.
Almost all newer manual transmission cars have dummy switches for the clutch these days to prevent exactly this from happening.
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There's nothing funny about this, and it happens more often than one might think. My fiend's mom failed to put her car fully in park and ran over herself while getting the mail. She was bruised all over, but recovered. My poor friend was visiting me here in WA when this happened, and his mom was in LA. My friend's boss went over and took care of his mom until he was able to get a flight out.
I have to admit, I would have liked to have seen that. Of course I would have "run over" to help him, I hope the old coot recovers.
My grandfather 'ran over' himself once, when he forced the thing to start while he was in front of it while it was in gear. Fortunately it only knocked him down and he easily avoided the wheels, ran after it and got it stopped.
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I hope this fellow heals quickly!!
Very sad, when I first got my license a friend offered to check the fluids in my Mercury Marquee Brougham, so I reached in thru the passenger side to shift it into Neutral (E brake was on), forgetting I had to shift past Reverse (releases E brake) to get there. I was dragged down the street until it hit a truck and my friend jumped in the drivers seat. This is a scary reminder of how bad it could have been. Glad he is OK.
 @SoTweetie No offense, but it wounds like you inherited your grandma's car (says the person who inherited her grandma's car)!  Glad you are OK too!
Poor guy, I hope he's okay. I worry about my mother doing something like this as she gets older.
I hope embarrassment is the worst of his injuries.
@MMcReary I think this could have happened to anyone. Obviously embarrassment wont be the worst of his injuries, he was taken to the hospital after a wheel rolled over his head and chest.
Must be an older car because the newer cars with manual transmissions require the clutch peddle in to start...hope the guy will be ok.
@DawgFan72Â I thought that was just how you started a manual... any manual. Well, every one I've ever driven anyway... I've never had a car with an automatic transmission.
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I'd guess it was an automatic. Either way, I hope he's OK.Â
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I'll bet he never starts the car without getting in first ever again.
 @lilhikergrl I have a '95 car with a manual that you can start without pushing the clutch in. It also has no traction control, just a limited slip diff. Good times...