On Monday morning, an elderly woman crashed her SUV into a Houston grocery store. The woman was attempting to park in a handicapped space in front of the store. While reversing in to the spot, she accidentally accelerated and plowed into the H-E-B supermarket.
Details of the Fatal Houston Accident
According to Houston Police spokesman, Kese Smith, “her vehicle hopped the curb in front of the store and crashed through the front entrance.”
Reuters reports a 31-year-old woman was near the checkout lanes when the crash occurred and was severely injured. She was rushed to the local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries and pronounced dead.
Six people were also injured, including the 2-year-old daughter of the woman who was killed.
The elderly woman could face criminal charges, but it is unlikely as she was not intoxicated at the scene. She did not sustain any injuries.
H-E-B supermarkets also issued a statement, “we greatly regret this incident occurred and our thoughts are with those who were involved today.”
Elderly Driver Accident Statistics
The following information was provided by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – the CDC defines older drivers as drivers over the age of 65:
- In 2012, more than 5,560 older adults were killed and more than 214,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes. This amounts to 15 older adults killed and 586 injured in crashes on average every day.
- The 2012 data shows a trend of 15 older adult deaths and 586 older adult injuries every day.
- There were almost 36 million licensed older drivers in 2012, which is a 34 percent increase from 1999.
- Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase noticeably starting at ages 70‒74 and are highest among drivers age 85 and older.
