Storybook Accident

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

An SUV ran into Porter Square Books this morning, a little before noon. I did not see the collision, but I was there shortly after. Nobody I spoke to saw it happen, including a couple who were in the store -- they just heard the noise. The vehicle went through the window into the cafe area and at least one person from inside was taken away in an ambulance, in addition to the driver, who did not appear to be hurt. (Amazingly, the car did not appear to have sustained any damage, despite breaking through the metal & glass windows as well as the cement block wall beneath.)

There were four ambulances, three fire engines, and many police officers.



(Taken with my phone.)

Comments

[girlsnqueers.livejournal.com]

So the steering wheel was locked too? If what the women in CVS said about the driver was true, she has no business being behind the wheel of any car, let alone a vehicle as potentially destructive as an SUV.

[julishka.livejournal.com]

that's not necessarily so. i know when i've been driving my car for a while, and then drive an automatic, my feet sometimes search for the extra pedal. also i've had my foot slip off the break before and hit the gas...not in any sort of way that damaged anything, but it did startle me! (and i'm not old, fyi.)

however, while i'm leaning in your direction, i'm also not trying to make excuses for the woman, so we can't discount her as being completely incompetent until the full story comes out.

i still can't fathom how someone parking could get enough momentum to break through the window - unless the suv was just tall enough to hit the glass first, before the little wall. (and also easily go over the curb.)

[rmd.livejournal.com]

i used to have problems moving between standard and automatic transmissions -- i once nearly put myself thru the windshield when i tried to step on the clutch, except the first pedal on the left was the brake since it was an automatic...

if the driver did hit the gas instead of the brake, the startle/shock panic reaction might've prevented evasive action.

i'm hoping that nobody's seriously hurt. i can't find info on the accident on any of the local news sites.

[julishka.livejournal.com]

i didn't notice any news crews in the area. it's possible they don't/didn't even know about it.

[ron_newman]

I'm also surprised it hasn't shown up on any news sites. I put a link to this LiveJournal post on Universal Hub.

[julishka.livejournal.com]

i see now from the flickr pictures posted in response to what you linked, that 1) because it's a wheelchair accessible spot, there is little to no curb, and 2) the "wall" below the plate glass window was barely a foot tall. so essentially this was a full on plate glass wall window and a car, and most definitely an SUV, at any speedwould no doubt go through that window very easily.

the bookstore might want to consider making a waist-high wall in the repairs. you know, just to be safe!