Almost Died At Work Last Night!

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213)
12/28/2014 at 20:24 • Filed to: spotted, spotted at work, avalon, old people, crash, accident, florida

Gather round folks! It's story time! today's characters include an 86 year old lady, her Toyota Avalon, and my Publix! Lead picture is what her car looked like after the fact. Here we go!

So sadly I have no pictures of the actual accident... just some aftermath and my very detailed drawings and descriptions. This is because my very strict no cell phone boss was standing right there as well as two police officers and the victim. The lady was in the white Avalon in that first handicapped space. She mixed up the gas and brake pedal and flew at about 25 MPH into our building!

She landed right here. Her back wheels were up on the curb.

The poor bush got chopped in half. It should be noted that I was standing RIGHT WHERE THOSE CARTS ARE! I may have screamed like a little girl when I saw her flying right at me.

As you can see, she mainly smacked this pole. Her white paint still remains.

Here's the other side of her car. The trunk no longer closes. Its bent pretty badly out of shape. The officer made them call a tow truck so they didn't drive it home. No airbags deployed.

So... here's the kicker. The 86 year old had her 40 something year old daughter with her! Now why the daughter wasn't driving we will never know. The officer was more confused than anything else considering how far she flew.

We are all very glad this happened around 8 PM. If any earlier, she would've hit at least one car and a few pedestrians. That is the main entrance to the store. Between all the cars and people and employees it could've been a lot worse. Also, we were glad to learn those pillars are structural and solid. Otherwise we would be in big trouble.

OPPO PSA: THE BRAKE IS ON THE LEFT! I REPEAT THE BRAKE IS ON THE LEFT! (**Unless you have a manual; then its the middle**)

Spotted at work.

DISCUSSION (35)

jkm7680 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:30

Fuckin Christ man, Glad you're Ok. Thank God she hit that pillar instead of you, and the storefront.

Some people just shouldn't have a licence. That 86 year old being one of them. It's pretty easy to tell the gas and brake apart, unless you're either blind or never had never heard of a car before.

Again, Glad you're alright! A code brown is a much better consequence than being hit.

There might have been some surveillance camera footage, which probably will be used later on if something comes up from the accident.

E92M3 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:31

Florida is just flat out dangerous!

Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:32

My clutch is on the left..

But glad everyone's alright!

jvirgs drives a Subaru > jkm7680
12/28/2014 at 20:33

Or at least have the sense to take your foot off the gas if you do mix them up and hit the brake

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > E92M3
12/28/2014 at 20:38

All the retirees is what makes it dangerous. And meth.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > jkm7680
12/28/2014 at 20:38

Well what was even worse is the fact that she couldn't even stand. We had to get her a wheelchair because she literally could not walk.

There needs to be a point after 65 where you need to retake the actual driving test every two years.... not just the sight test. Seriously this is the 4th accident in two weeks where someone mixed up the gas and brake. Sadly I dont have pics of the others but one of them ended up totaling two cars!

Literally scared the shit out of me I think. I screamed and jumped. I joke about getting backed into but I thought Id be safe on the sidewalk.

Xyl0c41n3 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:41

A couple of weeks ago a 70-something year old man did the same thing. Mixed up the gas and brake pedals. He hopped his truck over one of those cement barriers they put at the head of parking spaces, then through the plate-glass store front of a small workout studio, through that, and into a rear wall shared with a pizzeria next door. It was lunchtime, so the pizzeria was full of people, who all immediately ran out as soon as they heard the BOOM! But luckily, no one was in the workout studio because it only offers classes at night.

Glad you're ok.

PS9 > E92M3
12/28/2014 at 20:41

I live down here with JQ, and I can second that. I ride the bus to work every Tuesday and thursday, and people are flying in front, cutting it off and doing all sorts of stupid shit you don't need to be doing around a vehicle thats 10x the mass and 15x the volume of your own. Drivers just don't have any fucks to give down here.

Oh shit, I'm gonna be back on the road in a week or two with these loonies...

sellphones2493 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:49

Kinja'd!!!

Consider it totaled. Looks like frame damage!

Jonathan Harper > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:52

winter park?

Steve in Manhattan > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 20:56

F=MA (force equals mass times acceleration). At the very least, she should replace this car with a Corolla. Less M. Way less M. Just ask Isaac Newton.

Brickman > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:10

Glad you didn't get physically harmed. Imagine being crushed by a Toyota. Sad way to die :(

If it was a Ferrari then... nah not really. :)

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > sellphones2493
12/28/2014 at 21:14

Its very possible. I just dont know since its newer so it may still have some value. Hopefully this lady won't get to drive much more...

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Jonathan Harper
12/28/2014 at 21:16

About two hours away in Venice actually; south of Sarasota

jkm7680 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:20

She probably had arthritis or something, What you said is entirely correct. After a certain age, motor and vision skill starts to rapidly decrease. But the other person in their 40's has no excuse for not driving, unless no licence or too many DUI's something like that.

The elderly really should try and really take things slowly though, Wonder if they'll take her licence away.

wafflesnfalafel > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:21

Probably time for the daughter to have "the talk" with mom...

EL_ULY > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:26

For a supposed 25mph hit, it doesn't seem to badly damaged. Shouldn't be too much to repair. Crazy drivers man (of ALL brands of cars). Be careful out there.

SALfan > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:33

If asked, the old dingbat would probably say (indignantly!) that she is an excellent driver. My senile FIL thinks he is a good driver; I wouldn't ride with him to the end of the driveway. EVERY over-65 driver should have to pass a stiff driving test every year.

ranwhenparked > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:38

Oh, my grandmother lives in Venice. I don't *think* she's quite this bad yet, but I know she has had to have the bumper on her Camry replaced at least once because of difficulty judging spacial relationships.

Unfortunately, she lives alone 1,000 miles away from all family and refuses to change anything about that, so there's not much help anyone can give her.

ranwhenparked > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:40

I always give Avalons (and vehicles with a similar owner demographic, like older Buicks, beige Camrys, and anything with a carriage roof) a very wide berth in parking lots. Once those backup lights come on, watch out! There's no telling when that thing is going to start moving and how fast it will go once it does and the person behind the wheel probably won't be able to see you.

shop-teacher > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 21:55

I would've screamed like a little girl too!

Maximum_Odyssey > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 22:02

That doesn't look like 25 mph worth of damage. Maybe 15 mph.

Vicente Esteve > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 22:06

Its great that you are alright, but people that age are seemingly more dangerous than even some teenagers.

Agrajag > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 22:07

Glad you're okay.

My great-grandfather when he was about 85 years old, was driving along one day when a kid ran into the street. He braked just in time, but realized his awareness and reaction times were no longer what they were. He went home, put his keys in a drawer and never drove again. That's how a rational human being acts, folks.

My aunt got the car. :(

scoob > ranwhenparked
12/28/2014 at 22:07

Discrimination!!!!!!11!!!!11111111!1

mountain_runner > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 22:24

I thought it looked familiar. That's the one on the island isn't it?

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 22:35

Smashing, Q.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > mountain_runner
12/28/2014 at 22:40

Wow someone familiar with the area! No im actually at the one across from the Venice Walmart off 41.

how do you know Venice???

mountain_runner > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 22:42

I live in Rotonda West, but my kid goes to school at Island Village Montessori on Pinebrook.

Doug DeMuro > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/28/2014 at 23:46

Haha. Just ran the Carfax. This is a 1 owner car, which means that old woman has had it the whole time. But this is the third accident. First was March 2008, also involving left rear impact, then January of this year, ALSO involving left rear impact. I swear this is true.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > E92M3
12/28/2014 at 23:47

Flat out. I see what you did there...

Buick Mackane > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/29/2014 at 02:42

Who on earth with a valid license would let an 84 year old woman drive them home ?

wantafuncar > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/29/2014 at 09:58

Glad you are okay.

Publix is the truth. Love Publix whenever I go to Tampa.

People can't drive.

boxrocket > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
12/29/2014 at 10:54

I just spent a week in Florida on vacation. Made a point to visit a Publix near where we were staying (near SeaWorld in Orlando) since we don't have any in Saint Louis. Didn't have a chance to try their sandwiches though, which are allegedly quite good. First time for both Publix and Florida.

Glad you're OK.

thebigbossyboss > E92M3
12/31/2014 at 15:40

It is very flat.