Elderly Driver Strikes Elderly Pedestrian

A downtown traffic accident this morning left a 69-year-old woman pinned under a minivan after it jumped the curb and crashed into the side of a building.

Police spokesperson Paul McCaffrey reported that dispatch received around two dozen 911 calls at 8:46 a.m. of a collision that happened near the intersection of State and Anapamu streets. Although exact details remain sketchy, McCaffrey said it appears a 90-year-old man was driving his Plymouth Voyager minivan south on State Street when he ran the red light at Anapamu Street.

His car reportedly struck a vehicle traveling westbound on Anapamu Street, and the impact sent the minivan careening into the side of the Old Navy store located at 1137 State Street. A man walking by was forced to dive for safety, but the elderly woman was not able to move out of the way in time.

The woman, who uses a walker, reportedly sat down in her walker and tried to backpedal to safety. But the van struck her and she was left pinned directly under the vehicle. She was reportedly conscious at the scene and transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment. The driver was also taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries. Police, said McCaffrey, ordered him to complete a driver’s reevaluation test at the DMV.