MEXICO, Maine — A Peru woman could not remember hitting the accelerator on her Mazda pickup truck Wednesday afternoon in the Walmart parking lot, which led to more than $21,000 in damage to seven vehicles, police said.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got there,” Mexico Lt. Roy Hodsdon said.
What he saw were damaged cars, trucks and SUVs, and Louise Gerrish, 88, of Pleasant Street in Peru sitting in her 2000 Mazda pickup.
Gerrish apparently accidentally hit the accelerator on the truck, sending it across the median and into the left side of a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica owned by Jessica Robinson, 29, of Kidder Avenue in Dixfield, Hodsdon said.
Gerrish’s pickup continued on, nearly hitting a pedestrian who had been standing at the rear of Robinson’s Chrysler, across another row of vehicles and struck the right side of a 2006 Ford sport utility vehicle owned by Jane Lueders, 49, of Canton.
At the same time Gerrish’s pickup hit Lueders’ vehicle, it hit the left rear side of a 2010 Subaru Forester owned by Maggie Henien, 42, of Moore Street in Bridgton. The Forester was pushed into a 2004 GMC pickup truck owned by Timothy Derouche, 55, of Roxbury.
Hodsdon said the Mazda pickup continued north in the parking lot, crossed another row and struck a 1994 Ford pickup owned by Kevin Quinn, 73, of Rumford. The Ford pickup was pushed forward across two empty parking spaces into a 2007 Subaru sedan owned by Jean Mayo, 59, of Pine Street in Rumford.
Gerrish’s pickup stopped at that point.
Hodsdon said Gerrish said she doesn’t know what happened and doesn’t remember the crashes. She refused medical treatment for bruises.
He attributed the crashed to driver error.
A through examination of her driving ability should be conducted before she drives again. She has demonstrated she lacks the ability to to control her vehicle. This should be done after EVERY incident like this. Lives are on the line. This is common sense.
I bet she was on her way to the bowling alley.
Didn’t even need to read the story to know this was someone who is probably too old to drive. For some reason, the recognition of the gas pedal fades with old age.
Most older folks continue to drive because they are not offered help, or are to proud to ask.
‘Most” continue to drive because they think they can still handle it – until they don’t!
Senior citizens often see the loss of driving as the first step in being forced to move from their homes. Many of us have been through that with our parents.years ago when Mom and Dad moved in with one of the kids the car was not as big a deal.
Louise Gerrish, 88 – that says it all!