Watch an 85-Year-Old Woman Wreak Havoc in a Parking Lot
The DMV is now apparently making her retake her driving test.
When one thinks of parking lot vehicular mishaps, images of overzealous young men in Mustangs usually come to mind. But then there are situations like this one.
Caught on video is an 85-year-old woman outside of an Irvine, California grocery store. She apparently lost control of her late 90s Dodge Stratus, jumping curbs and squealing tires. After ultimately smashing into a Honda CR-V and setting off the airbags, a couple comes to her aid. Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt in the ordeal. According to the police, paramedics and the fire department arrived and checked that she (and any affected bystanders, presumably) was okay.
From the video's description: "An 85-year-old woman was leaving the grocery store parking lot. While she was leaving, she put the car in drive and drove up a curb to the other side, hitting a white Honda CR-V. I heard tires screeching, looked over, and started recording. After I started recording, she put her car into reverse, backed up off the curb, and then put it into drive. She went back and forth several times and the last final time she reversed off the curb into the street. Then she put it into drive, jumped the curb, and slammed into the Honda CR-V. This finally set her airbags off. A couple rushed to her car and helped her out. She claimed the car itself went out of control, and she didn't know what was going on. The fire department and paramedics checked her out to make sure she was okay. The DMV is now making her retake her driving test."
With an ever-aging population, there are more senior citizens on the road than ever before. While there are many simple accessories and adjustments elders can install in their cars to minimize their chances of having a crash, all of the pedal extensions and seat cushions in the world won't mitigate the often dangerous effects of an aging mind behind the wheel.
While we're glad that the DMV is taking action and making this particular woman retake her driving test, it got us thinking. What will happen first: robust legislation that mandates regular testing for drivers above a certain age, or honest-to-god, Level 5-autonomous, self-driving cars?
